Southern Iraq to reach 49°C as hot weather persists

BAGHDAD — Iraq will continue to experience hot to very hot summer weather on Sunday, with temperatures reaching 49 degrees Celsius in parts of the south, according to the Iraqi Meteorological Organization.

The agency forecast clear and sunny skies across most of the country, with some cloud cover expected in isolated areas of the northern and southern regions. It said temperatures would remain similar to Saturday’s levels.

The highest temperatures are forecast in Basra, Maysan and Dhi Qar, where highs are expected to reach 49°C. Diwaniyah, Muthanna and Najaf are forecast to reach 48°C, while Wasit and Babil are expected to see 47°C.

Baghdad, Karbala, Diyala and Salah al-Din are forecast to record highs of 46°C, while Anbar and Kirkuk are expected to reach 44°C. Temperatures are forecast at 43°C in Nineveh, 41°C in Erbil, and 39°C in Sulaymaniyah and Duhok.

The meteorological authority said light northwesterly winds of 10 to 20 kilometers per hour will prevail, with occasional shifts in direction in northern areas and periods of calm in eastern parts of southern Iraq.

Horizontal visibility is expected to range between 8 and 10 kilometers across most areas but could decrease to 5 to 7 kilometers in parts of the north and south.