Climate of Iraq

This chapter analyzed the general characteristics of Iraq’s climate, which significantly impacts the industrial sector. The climate of Iraq, conditioned by its geographical location, topography, and distance from large water bodies, presents a significant challenge to the industrial sector. Most of Iraq’s territory falls into the continental and subtropical semi-arid to dry climates, Mediterranean climate type, except for the mountainous area in the north and northeast. The average annual temperature varies between 19.3 °C in the north and 26.4 °C in the alluvial plain southern Iraq. Extreme air temperatures, with the maximum temperature rising in summer to over 45 °C, and dropping below freezing at night during winter, pose a threat to industrial operations. Rainfall occurs from October to May, with the highest precipitation in the northeast and the lowest in the southwest. Iraq has also suffered from repeated severe droughts in recent years due to recorded low precipitation and significant warming trends. Compared to the rest of Middle Eastern countries, Iraq is record-setting for the annual number of sand and dust storms, reaching 272 days per year.