High temperatures in summer are common in Iraq. Growing desertification — where fertile land turns dry — is pushing temperatures up. The Iraqi government has announced yesterday a two-day mandatory official holiday beginning today due to a heat wave as temperatures are soaring above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. It is the first heat advisory issued by the Iraqi government this summer. It is not uncommon for such public holidays to be declared when severe heatwaves hit during Iraq’s long, hot summers. The temperatures in southern Iraq even touched 54 degrees Celsius (129 degrees Fahrenheit)!
The world is on track for its hottest year on record and levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have reached new highs, further fuelling global warming, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said.
On the heels of two record-setting years for global heat, 2016 is likely to set a new high for the planet in modern times. Two key climate change indicators — global surface temperatures and Arctic sea ice extent — have broken numerous records through the first half of 2016, according to NASA analyses of ground-based observations and satellite data.
Each of the first six months of 2016 set a record as the warmest respective month globally in the modern temperature record, which dates to 1880, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. The six-month period from January to June was also the planet’s warmest half-year on record, with an average temperature 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the late nineteenth century.
The extent of Arctic sea ice at the peak of the summer melt season now typically covers 40 percent less area than it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Arctic sea ice extent in September, the seasonal low point in the annual cycle, has been declining at a rate of 13.4 percent per decade.
Previous El Niño events have driven temperatures to what were then record levels, such as in 1998. But in 2016, even as the effects of the recent El Niño taper off, global temperatures have risen well beyond those of 18 years ago because of the overall warming that has taken place in that time.
Iraq’s summers are known for their merciless heat, but just as Iraqis have shown resilience and ingenuity in dealing with the violence, they do likewise when it comes to exceptionally hot days. Some shop-owners are merciful to shoppers, setting up showers on the sidewalk that men stood under without hesitation to cool off.
Iraqis are undeterred by severe heatwaves and can be seen dancing at a party in Baghdad. Well, that’s the spirit! Isn’t it?
Indrosphere 
Truly, the world is becoming a hotter place with each passing day. We have the actual feel of winter for only a couple of weeks in Kolkata last year. This year…it could be worse.
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Cannot imagine staying in 50 degrees celsius ..wonder how the Iraqis manage with those robes. They seem to be at the receiving end of everything and even the weather Gods are merciless!
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Very true Sunita ji, the only saving grace here is the dryness. Can’t imagine the situation of so many refugees, internally displaced people, who are staying in camps.
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BBC reports: Iraq sweats in near-record heatwave.
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Scary stuff! Sure hope Donald Trump loses the US presidential election or we are even less likely to get something accomplished on climate change!
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We all need to act collectively to halt the pace of global warming.
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Oh God, where is world heading to! I wonder what would it look like after another couple of decades!
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50? Oh God. And I can’t even stay normal in 43 degrees or close. I hope we don’t mess with the nature so much. Good post.
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Thanks Aditi.
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World is on the way to destruction. The way global temperature are rising poses severe threat to the existence of lives on the beautiful planets. Glaciers are melting and environment is getting hot day by day. The days are not far when whole system will collapse of global warming, if proper measures are not taken as of now. Developed country can not scuttle developing country’s wings… poverty is perpetuating in a number of developing and least developed nations. Exploitation of resources using th3 Convention way is unavoidable in these countries as they can not affort pro environment techniques for exploitation. Developed nations should take the responsibility of maneuvering the menace with the expertise thwy hold in science, technology, management and execution. Liked and followed ur blog, check mine if u wish to read/follow.
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Well said Prakash. Thanks.
You have a nice blog and I started following you today.
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Thanks a bunch ! ☺☺
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🙂
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Admire the spirit of the people out on the streets dancing in 50 degree celsius, yet global warming and climate change seems to be a real threat now.
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Hope it’s not too late when we really start acting on climate change.
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50 degrees! We are experiencing changes in weather as well in the tropics – it’s no longer warm and humid. The sunny days are getting too hot now while the wet days are flash floods. Just a few months ago, we experienced hail in downtown KL – hail in the equator!
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Very true Kathleen. We’re seeing weird moods of weather. Maybe Mother Nature is getting mad at our careless, suicidal actions.
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