Dark clouds gather over Baghdad as Iraq’s Meteorological Authority forecasts rain in central and northern regions and light snowfall in mountainous areas, March 2026.
Weather report
Rain forecast for northern Iraq as temperatures dip
BAGHDAD — Moderate rain is expected in scattered parts of northern Iraq on Friday, with temperatures falling slightly across much of the country, the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology said.
Friday will be partly cloudy overall, turning cloudy with moderate rain in parts of the north. Northwesterly winds of 10-20 kilometers per hour are expected, shifting southeasterly in eastern areas.
Visibility is forecast at 8-10 kilometers, falling to 5-7 kilometers where it rains.
Friday highs are forecast at 28 C in Duhok, 29 C in Sulaymaniyah, 30 C in Erbil and Nineveh, 32 C in Kirkuk and 34 C in Baghdad. Southern governorates will remain hotter, with Basra, Maysan and Dhi Qar forecast to reach 42 C.
That is slightly cooler than Thursday in most of the north and center, when Duhok and Sulaymaniyah had the country’s lowest forecast highs at 29 C, followed by Erbil, Kirkuk and Nineveh at 31 C. Baghdad was forecast to reach 36 C and Basra 41 C.
Light rain or showers were forecast Thursday for Duhok, Erbil and Nineveh, with chances of rain in Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Baghdad, Salah Al-Din, Diyala, Anbar and several central governorates, and possible thunderstorms in some central and northern areas.
Saturday is expected to be partly cloudy in central and southern Iraq and mostly clear with some clouds in the north, with temperatures easing slightly in central and southern areas.
Cloudier conditions return Sunday, with light rain possible in scattered locations. Monday will stay partly cloudy, with more chances of light rain and stronger easterly winds in parts of southern Iraq.