Rain to spread across Iraq midweek as Basra reaches 37°C

BAGHDAD — Scattered rain and occasional thunderstorms will spread across Iraq this week, with light rain reaching most governorates on Wednesday and heavier showers in places on Thursday, the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology said Monday. Monday will be mostly clear to partly cloudy in the center and north, clouding over at night with a chance of light rain in parts of the west, while the south will be partly cloudy with scattered light showers. Highs will range from 27°C in Duhok to 37°C in Basra, close to Sunday’s, with mild to warm days and cooler nights and early mornings.

On Tuesday, skies will be partly cloudy to cloudy nationwide, with scattered light showers and occasional thunderstorms in western parts of the center and south and temperatures close to Monday’s. Wednesday will bring scattered light rain to the north, center and south, with light to moderate southeasterly winds and slightly lower temperatures in the center and north. Rain will continue Thursday, light to moderate with occasional thunderstorms, as temperatures fall slightly across most of the country. Friday will be partly cloudy in the center and south, with isolated showers possible in the center, while the north stays cloudier with light rain. Winds on Monday will be light and variable at 5 to 10 km/h, rising to 10 to 20 km/h in western parts of central Iraq, where they could raise light dust. Visibility will be 8 to 10 kilometers, falling to 5 to 7 km in haze or dust and to 7 km in rain later in the week.

Monday’s highs: Duhok 27°C, Erbil 28°C, Sulaymaniyah 28°C, Baghdad 35°C and Basra 37°C.