Summer Comes Early for Iraq as Temperatures Soar in South
Summer has come early for Iraq this year, with temperatures soaring to dangerous levels in the southern provinces on Thursday, the national weather center said.
Global temperatures are stuck at near-record highs this year, according to the EU's climate monitor, extending an unprecedented heat streak that started in 2023.
"It is the highest temperature recorded in Iraq this year," weather centre spokesperson Amer al-Jabiri told AFP.
He said the early heat was in contrast to last year, when the temperature was "relatively good" in May and "it only began to rise in June".
On Thursday, the temperature climbed to 49 degrees Celsius (over 120 Fahrenheit) in the provinces of Basra and Missan, and it reached 48 degrees in the nearby Dhi Qar province, according to the weather centre.
In Iraq, summer temperatures often exceed 50 degrees Celsius, especially in July and August, and sometimes reach these levels earlier.
On Sunday, two cadets died and others were admitted to hospital with heat stroke at a military academy in Dhi Qar, authorities said.
The defense ministry said nine cadets "showed signs of fatigue and exhaustion due to sun exposure" while waiting to be assigned to battalions.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the two deaths.
Iraq is one of the five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. It has also seen a prolonged drought and frequent dust storms.
While the province of Missan is used to scorching summers, environment activist and daily labourer Mustafa Hashem said "the heat started sooner than expected this year".
"One of my colleagues fainted yesterday while we were maintaining cooling equipment on the roof of a building," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
21 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan's Punjab says ongoing heat wave likely to continue till Thursday
ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Pakistan's Punjab said this week that the ongoing heat wave in the country's most populous province is likely to continue till Thursday. Pakistan's Meteorological Department last week forecast that the ongoing heat wave in the country will continue throughout the Eid Al-Adha holidays . It said day temperatures are likely to remain 5°C to 7°C above normal in the upper half (central & upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan). Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has faced increasingly frequent extreme weather events in recent years, including deadly heatwaves and devastating floods. 'Provincial Disaster Management Authority Punjab has cautioned that current heat wave will likely to continue in the province till Thursday,' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said in a report on Monday. 'He said that the heat wave may be severe in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan of South Punjab.' Director General of PDMA Punjab Irfan Ali Kathia said that under the chief minister's directions, the supply of water is being ensured in the Cholistan desert region located in southern Punjab. He warned that special care of the children, elderly and the sick should be taken during this time period. Pakistan experienced its most recent heatwave in May but no loss of life was reported. In June 2024, nearly 700 people died in less than a week during a severe heatwave in the country, with most fatalities reported in the port city of Karachi and other parts of the southern Sindh province. A similar heatwave in 2015 claimed over 2,000 lives in Pakistan's largest city Karachi alone, while catastrophic floods in 2022 left more than 1,700 people dead and displaced over 33 million across the country.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
School's Out: Climate Change Keeps Pakistan Students Home
Pakistan's children are losing weeks of education each year to school closures caused by climate change-linked extreme weather, prompting calls for a radical rethink of learning schedules. Searing heat, toxic smog and unusual cold snaps have all caused closures that are meant to spare children the health risks of learning in classrooms that are often overcrowded and lack basic cooling, heating or ventilation systems. In May, a nationwide heatwave saw temperatures up to seven degrees Celsius above normal, hitting 45C (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in Punjab and prompting several provinces to cut school hours or start summer holidays early. "The class becomes so hot that it feels like we are sitting in a brick kiln," said 17-year-old Hafiz Ehtesham outside an inner-city Lahore school. "I don't even want to come to school." Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with limited resources for adaptation, and extreme weather is compounding an existing education crisis caused mostly by access and poverty. "Soon we will have major cognitive challenges because students are being impacted by extreme heat and extreme smog over long periods of time," said Lahore-based education activist Baela Raza Jamil. "The poorest are most vulnerable. But climate change is indeed a great leveler and the urban middle class is also affected." Pakistan's summers historically began in June, when temperatures hit the high 40s. But in the last five years, May has been similarly hot, according to the Meteorological Department. "During a power outage, I was sweating so much that the drops were falling off my forehead onto my desk," 15-year-old Jannat, a student in Lahore, told AFP. "A girl in my class had a nosebleed from the heat." - Health versus learning - Around a third of Pakistani school-age children -- over 26 million -- are out of school, according to government figures, one of the highest numbers in the world. And 65 percent of children are unable to read age-appropriate material by age 10. School closures affect almost every part of Pakistan, including the country's most populous province Punjab, which has the highest rates of school attendance. Classes closed for two weeks in November over air pollution, and another week in May because of heat. In the previous academic year, three weeks were lost in January to a cold snap and two weeks in May due to heat. Political unrest and cricket matches that closed roads meant more lost days. In Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest province, May heatwaves have prompted early summer vacations for three years running, while in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, school hours are regularly slashed. For authorities, the choice is often between sending children to school in potentially dangerous conditions or watching them fall behind. In southern Sindh province, authorities have resisted heat-related closures despite growing demands from parents. "It's hard for parents to send their children to school in this kind of weather," private school principal Sadiq Hussain told AFP in Karachi, adding that attendance drops by 25 percent in May. "Their physical and mental health is being affected," added Dost Mohammad Danish, general secretary of All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association. "Don't expect better scientists from Pakistan in the coming years." - 'Everyone is suffering' - Schools in Pakistan are overseen by provincial authorities, whose closure notices apply to all schools in a region, even when they are hundreds of kilometers (miles) apart and may be experiencing different conditions, or have different resources to cope. Teachers, parents and education experts want a rethink of school hours, exam timetables and vacations, with schools able to offer Saturday classes or split the school day to avoid the midday heat. Izza Farrakh, a senior education specialist at the World Bank, said climate change-related impacts are affecting attendance and learning outcomes. "Schools need to have flexibility in determining their academic calendar. It shouldn't be centralized," she said, adding that end-of-year exams usually taken in May could be replaced by regular assessments throughout the year. Adapting school buildings is also crucial. International development agencies have already equipped thousands of schools with solar panels, but many more of the country's 250,000 schools need help. Hundreds of climate-resilient schools funded by World Bank loans are being built in Sindh. They are elevated to withstand monsoon flooding, and fitted with solar panels for power and rooftop insulation to combat heat and cold. But in Pakistan's most impoverished villages, where education is a route out of generational poverty, parents still face tough choices. In rural Sukkur, the local school was among 27,000 damaged or destroyed by unprecedented 2022 floods. Children learn outside their half-collapsed school building, unprotected from the elements. "Our children are worried, and we are deeply concerned," said parent Ali Gohar Gandhu, a daily wage laborer. "Everyone is suffering."
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
School's out: Climate change keeps Pakistan students home
LAHORE: Pakistan's children are losing weeks of education each year to school closures caused by climate change-linked extreme weather, prompting calls for a radical rethink of learning schedules. Searing heat, toxic smog and unusual cold snaps have all caused closures that are meant to spare children the health risks of learning in classrooms that are often overcrowded and lack basic cooling, heating or ventilation systems. In May, a nationwide heatwave saw temperatures up to seven degrees Celsius above normal, hitting 45C (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in Punjab and prompting several provinces to cut school hours or start summer holidays early. 'The class becomes so hot that it feels like we are sitting in a brick kiln,' said 17-year-old Hafiz Ehtesham outside an inner city Lahore school. 'I don't even want to come to school.' Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with limited resources for adaptation, and extreme weather is compounding an existing education crisis caused mostly by access and poverty. 'Soon we will have major cognitive challenges because students are being impacted by extreme heat and extreme smog over long periods of time,' said Lahore-based education activist Baela Raza Jamil. 'The poorest are most vulnerable. But climate change is indeed a great leveller and the urban middle class is also affected.' Pakistan's summers historically began in June, when temperatures hit the high 40s. But in the last five years, May has been similarly hot, according to the Meteorological Department. 'During a power outage, I was sweating so much that the drops were falling off my forehead onto my desk,' 15-year-old Jannat, a student in Lahore, told AFP. 'A girl in my class had a nosebleed from the heat.' Around a third of Pakistani school-age children — over 26 million — are out of school, according to government figures, one of the highest numbers in the world. And 65 percent of children are unable to read age-appropriate material by age 10. School closures affect almost every part of Pakistan, including the country's most populous province Punjab, which has the highest rates of school attendance. Classes closed for two weeks in November over air pollution, and another week in May because of heat. In the previous academic year, three weeks were lost in January to a cold snap and two weeks in May due to heat. Political unrest and cricket matches that closed roads meant more lost days. In Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest province, May heatwaves have prompted early summer vacations for three years running, while in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, school hours are regularly slashed. For authorities, the choice is often between sending children to school in potentially dangerous conditions or watching them fall behind. In southern Sindh province, authorities have resisted heat-related closures despite growing demands from parents. 'It's hard for parents to send their children to school in this kind of weather,' private school principal Sadiq Hussain told AFP in Karachi, adding that attendance drops by 25 percent in May. 'Their physical and mental health is being affected,' added Dost Mohammad Danish, general secretary of All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association. 'Don't expect better scientists from Pakistan in the coming years.' Schools in Pakistan are overseen by provincial authorities, whose closure notices apply to all schools in a region, even when they are hundreds of kilometers (miles) apart and may be experiencing different conditions, or have different resources to cope. Teachers, parents and education experts want a rethink of school hours, exam timetables and vacations, with schools able to offer Saturday classes or split the school day to avoid the midday heat. Izza Farrakh, a senior education specialist at the World Bank, said climate change-related impacts are affecting attendance and learning outcomes. 'Schools need to have flexibility in determining their academic calendar. It shouldn't be centralized,' she said, adding that end-of-year exams usually taken in May could be replaced by regular assessments throughout the year. Adapting school buildings is also crucial. International development agencies have already equipped thousands of schools with solar panels, but many more of the country's 250,000 schools need help. Hundreds of climate-resilient schools funded by World Bank loans are being built in Sindh. They are elevated to withstand monsoon flooding, and fitted with solar panels for power and rooftop insulation to combat heat and cold. But in Pakistan's most impoverished villages, where education is a route out of generational poverty, parents still face tough choices. In rural Sukkur, the local school was among 27,000 damaged or destroyed by unprecedented 2022 floods. Children learn outside their half-collapsed school building, unprotected from the elements. 'Our children are worried, and we are deeply concerned,' said parent Ali Gohar Gandhu, a daily wage laborer. 'Everyone is suffering.'
