Iraq's Meteorological Organization and Seismology issued a warning about a heatwave that will affect the entire country. In a statement on Friday, the organization forecast that temperatures in five southern provinces would reach 50 degrees Celsius over the weekend.
Alongside the capital Baghdad, the cities of Kirkuk, Babil, Salahaddin, Wasit, Karbala and Diwaniyah are expected to reach 49 degrees. In the provinces of Najaf, Muthanna, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Basra, thermometers will show 50 degrees.
On Saturday, skies across the country will be clear and hot, with temperatures staying close to Friday's levels. According to forecasts, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah will see 43 degrees, Erbil 44, Nineveh and Anbar 47, and Diyala 48.
Weather conditions will remain stable on Sunday, while a slight rise in temperatures is expected nationwide on Monday. Similar heat and clear skies are forecast to continue on Tuesday.
The Kurdistan Region's General Directorate of Meteorology and Seismology also announced that skies will be clear in the region. Temperatures on Friday were slightly lower than Thursday, and similar conditions will persist on Saturday.
The highest temperatures recorded in the region on Friday were 43 degrees in Erbil and Duhok, 42 in Sulaymaniyah, 44 in Halabja, Zakho and Akre, 45 in Chamchamal, 49 in the Garmiyan Independent Administration, 40 in the Pirmam district, and 31 in the Haji Omaran subdistrict.