Temperatures Soar To 53C (127F) In Iraq Forcing Mandatory 2 Day Holiday

Written by Mark Vogan on July 20, 2016 in Asia, Rest of World, Summer 2016 with 0 Comments

Brits may complain about the ‘heat’ here but for the folks of the Middle East and particularly Iraq they would laugh at our complaint and would find our daytime 30s quite cool even during the dark hours of night. In fact night time lows are barely going below 37C which of course was the new July UK record just last year. By day it’s soaring beyond 50C (122F) widely with 51C (123F) recorded in the capital Baghdad and 53C (127F) in the south today.

Credit: AccuWeather

People cool off from the summer heat by using an open air shower in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July, 20, 2016. Iraqis are enduring the year’s hottest day to date, with temperatures soaring to 51 Celsius degrees (123.8 Fahrenheit) in Baghdad and as much as 53 Celsius (127.4 Fahrenheit) in the southern part of the country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

People cool off the summer heat by drinking iced juice in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July, 20, 2016. Iraqis are enduring the year’s hottest day to date, with temperatures soaring to 51 Celsius degrees (123.8 Fahrenheit) in Baghdad and as much as 53 Celsius (127.4 Fahrenheit) in the southern part of the country. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

I first noticed 53C on the GFS early last week. The next couple of days is likely to be just as hot and record challenging.