Iraq forecasts clouds, scattered rain and dense fog as temperatures dip

BAGHDAD — Iraq will see unsettled weather on Wednesday, with widespread cloud cover, varying rain intensity and dense morning fog that could sharply reduce visibility in parts of the country, the Meteorological Authority said.

In a forecast report, the authority said the current pattern is expected to persist over the next several days, bringing scattered rainfall to central and southern areas and light precipitation to mountainous parts of the Kurdistan Region, with the possibility of snow. Temperatures are expected to fall slightly Wednesday before gradually rising starting Thursday.

The authority said conditions should begin improving Friday, with more stable weather and clearer skies across most areas. Fog is expected to ease, rain chances to decline and visibility to improve, with milder conditions continuing into Saturday.

For Wednesday, the forecast called for partly cloudy skies becoming mostly cloudy, with unstable conditions continuing.

Moderate to dense fog is expected during morning hours in parts of central and southern Iraq, reducing visibility to less than 1 kilometer in some places before improving by noon.

Temperatures are forecast to drop by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius compared with the previous day. Winds in central and southern Iraq will be light to moderate and variable at 10 to 20 kph, while northern areas will see easterly winds at similar speeds.

Visibility is forecast at 8 to 10 kilometers in general, falling to 4 to 6 kilometers and below 1 kilometer in fog-affected areas in the morning. In areas hit by heavier rain, visibility may drop to 3 to 5 kilometers.