Iraq forecasts brief temperature drop over coming days

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Meteorological Authority said temperatures will dip slightly in central and northern areas over the next four days, while remaining close to recent levels in the south. In a weather update, the agency said Friday would be clear across the country, with northwesterly winds light to moderate and reaching up to 30 kilometers per hour in the eastern parts of the southern region. Friday's forecast highs were listed as 36°C in Duhok, 37°C in Sulaymaniyah, 38°C in Erbil, 39°C in Mosul and Kirkuk, 40°C in Anbar, 41°C in Saladin, 42°C in Baghdad, Diyala and Karbala, 43°C in Babil and Najaf, 44°C in Wasit, Diwaniyah and Maysan, and 46°C in Dhi Qar and Basra. The authority said central and northern areas will see temperatures unchanged on Saturday, with a slight drop in the south, before southern areas rise again by a few degrees on Sunday while the rest of the country holds steady.