Latest news with #BasraInternationalAirport
Iraqi News
a day ago
- Climate
- Iraqi News
Iraq records world's highest temperatures
Baghdad ( – Iraq has led the list of countries with the most extreme temperatures, with some cities in the country experiencing temperatures above half the boiling point in the last 24 hours. Basra International Airport was the hottest spot in the world on July 28, with a temperature of 51.8°C (125.2°F), beating Iran's Abadan city, which came in second at 51.2°C (124.2°F), according to Rudaw News. Iraqi cities filled 11 of the top 15 spots on the highest temperature list, indicating a rising heatwave across the entire country this summer. Figures show that Iraq remains one of the places most vulnerable to extreme weather globally, despite persistent warnings about the effects of s and falling plant cover. Iraq's national meteorological center reported that the country remains affected by an exceptionally hot air mass caused by low surface thermal pressure, which explains the continued high temperatures. The meteorological center denied that temperatures hit 65°C on July 27 and predicted that the heatwave would last until July 29.
Shafaq News
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Shafaq News
Drought forces mass exodus in Dhi Qar
Shafaq News – Dhi Qar The worsening drought in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar province has displaced more than 10,000 families, the Green Iraq Observatory revealed on Monday. In a statement, Green Iraq Observatory member Bushra al-Taie said the mass displacement has occurred across rural areas in Dhi Qar, with families fleeing to urban centers in search of water and basic services. Humanitarian efforts by the provincial migration department have included food baskets, electrical appliances, and training programs to help displaced households adapt to their new conditions. The buffalo population (a key livestock for southern Iraq) in the province has sharply declined from 21,000 to just 10,000 over the past two years, al-Taie noted, attributing the losses directly to prolonged water scarcity. Iraq has faced an accelerating water crisis in recent years, driven by declining rainfall, rising temperatures, and upstream dam construction in neighboring countries. Water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers—critical lifelines for agriculture and livestock—have reached historic lows. Amid this crisis, Iraq dominated the list of the world's hottest locations in the past 24 hours, with 13 cities making the top 15, according to data from the Placerville weather station in California. Basra International Airport recorded the planet's highest temperature at 50.7°C, followed by Amarah at 50°C, and Basra al-Hussein at 49.9°C. The Iranian city of Abadan ranked fourth with 49.6°C, while Ali al-Gharbi in Iraq came fifth at 49.5°C.
Shafaq News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Shafaq News
Scorching summer drives Iraqis to rivers
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqis are flocking to rivers across Baghdad and Babil to escape a searing heatwave, as temperatures soar past 49°C in multiple cities. In the capital, residents gather along the Tigris each afternoon despite pollution and safety warnings, seeking relief from the oppressive heat. In Al-Hilla, children from buffalo-herding communities jump into local rivers, splashing beside their animals to cool off under the blazing sun. The country recorded some of the world's highest temperatures on Saturday, according to data from California's Placerville Weather Station. Basra International Airport topped the global list at 49.3°C, followed by Al-Nasiriyah (48.8°C), Amarah and Khanaqin (48.3°C), Najaf, Badrah, and Basra al-Hussein (48.2°C), Al-Kut (Al-Hayy) (47.9°C), Ali al-Gharbi and Karbala (47.8°C), and Al-Rifai (47.7°C). A January 2025 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that Iraq's average summer temperatures are rising rapidly and could reach 60°C in some regions by 2060. Compounding the crisis are weakening cooling winds and intensifying urban heat islands. The effects are far-reaching—public health is strained by heat-related illness, while agriculture suffers from accelerated evaporation and dwindling water supplies in the Tigris and Euphrates. The added pressure on Iraq's fragile power grid from soaring air-conditioning use has triggered blackouts, leaving many to endure dangerous conditions indoors.
Shafaq News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Shafaq News
Basra leads: 6 Iraqi cities among world's hottest
Shafaq News - Basra Basra province, along with five other Iraqi regions, ranked among the 15 hottest places on Earth over the past 24 hours, according to the Placerville weather station in California. Basra International Airport topped the list with a scorching 48.2°C (118.8°F), marking the highest recorded temperature on Earth during the period. It was followed by Adrar in Algeria at 47.9°C, and Béni Abbès (referred to as Bedoun 5) in Algeria at 47.6°C. In Salah, also in Algeria, came fourth with 47.5°C, while Omidiyeh in Iran ranked fifth with the same temperature. Amarah, in southeastern Iraq, came sixth, registering 47.3°C. Ahvaz in Iran and the Al-Hussein neighborhood in Basra followed in seventh and eighth place, respectively, both recording 47.1°C. The Iranian city of Abadan ranked ninth with 47.0°C, while Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia came in tenth at 46.8°C. Kuwait International Airport also recorded 46.8°C, placing it eleventh on the list. Nasiriyah in southern Iraq was ranked twelfth with 46.8°C, followed by Tikrit in central Iraq, also at 46.8°C. Qarn Alam in Oman was fourteenth with 46.7°C, and Karbala in central Iraq rounded out the list in fifteenth place with 46.6°C.
Iraqi News
25-06-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways resumes flights following Iran-Israel ceasefire
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport stated on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways will resume flights on Wednesday, a day after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement following a 12-day conflict in which Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged missile and drone raids. According to a statement from the Iraqi Transport Ministry, Iraqi Airways will resume regular flight operations to international and domestic destinations through Baghdad International Airport and Basra International Airport on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. This decision is made under the direct supervision of the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi. The statement noted that the decision was made after security risks to aviation safety had been eliminated and the airspace had progressively returned to normal conditions. The announcement followed over 90 flights operated by Iraq's national carrier from Basra International Airport to other countries, where over 24,900 Iraqis were safely returned after being stuck overseas due to the region's emergency situations. After Israel bombarded Iran on June 13, asserting that it aimed to prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons, airlines continued to steer clear of large portions of the Middle East. This avoidance was due to ongoing missile confrontations between Israel and Iran, representing the latest disruption in the region.
