Workers in Iraq get day off as temperatures pass 50C

• At least 10 provinces in Iraq have suspended work for most state employees.
• A heatwave has been ongoing since mid-July and is forecast to continue.
• The country is one of the most vulnerable to climate change in the Middle East, according to a UN report.

On Thursday, a number of the nation’s cities topped lists of the hottest locations worldwide.

The majority of public employees’ work has been suspended in at least 10 regions due to the oppressive heat, according to Kurdistan24.

Since the middle of July, the nation has been experiencing a heatwave, and it is expected to continue.

Iraq is one of the hottest areas on Earth, thus burning heat is not uncommon there. However, locals claim that things are becoming worse.

An extended four-day holiday for state employees has started in Basra, a port city in southern Iraq where temperatures are exceptionally high.

Despite the fact that many employees’ offices are closed, many claim that their suffering will not end because frequent power outages frequently prevent access to air conditioning.

Intense dust storms have been more frequent this year, blocking the sky and forcing the suspension of services.

Due to human-induced climate change, heatwaves are now more common, more powerful, and stay longer.

Since the start of the industrial age, the world has already warmed by around 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments drastically reduce emissions.

The UN has listed Iraq as one of the Middle East nations most at risk from climate change.

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