Iraqi weather service says temperatures to stay within seasonal norms, no dust storms expected

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Meteorological Organization said Sunday that temperatures will ease toward the end of the week, with a mild rise midweek followed by a return to seasonal averages. Organization media director Amir al-Jabiri told the state news agency that readings and forecasts pointed to a hot air mass affecting the country in the middle of the week. Al-Jabiri said the latest updates showed the air mass would be weaker than earlier atmospheric models had indicated. A relatively weaker upper-atmosphere high-pressure system has limited any major temperature increase, he added. The official said southern cities typically record temperatures between 47 and 49 degrees Celsius at this time of year, but no indicators point to severe dust storms or significant dust activity in the coming days. He added that weather conditions would remain within the range of general averages and that temperatures would stay within natural limits.