Residents claim that Khanaqin’s temperature peaked at 50 degrees Celsius and that the current summer season is one of the hottest in recent years.
“Well, this year it has been better than the last year It is true that these two or three days are hot, but it's better than the last year, today the temperature is 50 degrees and above,” Ali Murad, a resident of Khanaqin, told Rudaw’s Hunar Hamid.
Another Khanaqin resident who spent over a decade of his life in Basra complained that the former experiences hotter conditions than the latter.
“I have been in Basra city for 12 years, but it was not as hot as Khanaqin,” Sabah Khaman, told Rudaw.
In Kalar district of Garmiyan administration, some residents go to the Sirwan river and swim on a daily basis in an attempt to avoid the scorching heat.
“Many people visit Sirwan river in Kalar district to cool themselves off,” said Sartip Mohammed, a resident.
Iraq is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the United Nations. It is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, and waste and mismanagement.
“Iraq is under the influence of climate change, for example, according to data released today, since 1991 to date, the temperature has risen two more degrees in Iraq,” Abdulmuttalib Rafaat, a professor at Garmiyan University, told Rudaw on Friday.
The temperature in Kalar was 51 degrees Celsius on Friday, making this year’s summer hotter than the previous year.
