Climate - Iraq

The climate in detail

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• Mountains - Sulaymaniyah
• Syrian desert - Rutbah
• North - Mosul
• The Center-south - Baghdad, Nasiriya
• When to go
• What to pack

Mountains

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In the north-eastern part of Iraq (zone 1 on the map), occupied by the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan (Zagros and Taurus), winters are cold and rainy, while summers are hot and dry, even scorching up to quite high altitudes.
Annual precipitation ranges between 700 and 1,000 millimeters (27 and 40 inches), and occurs between October and April. This is the only area of Iraq which receives substantial rainfall.

Sulaymaniyah

In Sulaymaniyah, 850 meters (2,800 ft) above sea level, the average temperature ranges from 5.5 °C (42 °F) in January to 32 °C (89.5 °F) in July. So the summer is hot, as well as sunny, while the winter is quite cold, with possible snowfalls and frosts, when the area is reached by cold air masses from the north.
Here are the average temperatures in Sulaymaniyah.

In Sulaymaniyah, annual precipitation amounts to 745 mm (29.5 in), most of which occurring from November to April, while it never rains from June to September. Here is the average precipitation.

In the northernmost mountainous area, winter is even colder, and in the valleys at high altitude, it is freezing. At the highest altitudes, heavy snowfalls occur.
The highest peak of Iraq is Cheekha Dar, 3,611 meters (11,847 feet) high, on the border with Iran.

Syrian desert

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North-west of Mesopotamia, in the hilly area towards Syria (zone 4), the climate is desert, quite cold with frequent frosts in winter (although the climate has warmed in recent years), and hot in summer, though a bit less hot than in the plains because of altitude.

Rutbah

In Rutbah, 600 meters (2,000 feet) above sea level, the average is between 9 °C (48 °F) in January and 32.5 °C (90.5 °F) in July. In summer, the temperature can sometimes reach 45/47 °C (113/117 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Throughout the year, only 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain fall, concentrated in the winter months. In winter, snow and frost are possible during cold spells. Here is the average precipitation.

In the rest of Iraq, which is occupied by plains or hills (zones 2 and 3), the climate is arid, mild in winter and scorchingly hot in summer. Summer goes from June to September, but the months of May and October are hot as well. Although the climate in Mesopotamia is desert, the landscape can change locally due to the rivers, both where they give rise to wetlands, and where they are exploited to irrigate the fields.

North

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In the northern belt (zone 2), the climate is arid, but in the cold half of the year, some depressions can affect this area for a few months, bringing moderate rainfall.

Mosul

In Mosul, located in the northernmost part of the plain, on the banks of the Tigris River, not far from the ancient Nineveh, winter is mild, but it's certainly not tropical: the average in January is 8 °C (46 °F). From December to March, it rains for 7/10 days per month, and sunny days alternate with periods of bad weather. At night, it often gets cold, and the temperature can sometimes drop a few degrees below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). Occasionally, it can even snow.
Summer in Mosul is very hot, with a relentless sun, and with daytime temperatures of 43 °C (109 °F) in July and August, but with peaks of 47/48 °C (117/118 °F); fortunately, however, air humidity is low.
Here are the average temperatures.

Throughout the year, in Mosul, 365 mm (14.5 in) of rain fall: they are not many, but they are concentrated between November and April, with very few rains in May and October, while it almost never rains between June and September. Here is the average precipitation.

In Mosul, the sun shines regularly in summer, while it shines quite often in winter, when, however, there are also cloudy periods. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

South-east of Mosul, Kirkuk has a similar climate because the more southern position is balanced out by the slightly higher altitude, around 350 meters (1,150 ft).

Center-south

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Throughout central and southern Iraq (zone 3), the climate is desert or semi-desert, with mild winters, which are progressively warmer as you head south. Summers are extremely hot. Fortunately, even in this area, air humidity during the summer months is low because the prevailing winds, often lively and sometimes capable of generating dust storms, come from the west or the north-west and therefore from the interior. The wind is more frequent in the central and southern parts of the country.

Baghdad

In the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the average temperature ranges from 11 °C (52 °F) in January to 36.5 °C (97.5 °F) in July, when highs are as high as 45 °C (113 °F). Here too, summer is hot and the sunshine reigns supreme, with peaks around 50 °C (122 °F): these temperatures make Baghdad one of the hottest capitals in the world.
In winter, days are mild but nights are often cold, and the temperature may drop to a few degrees below freezing.
In 2020, there was even a snowfall in February, and the temperature dropped to -3.5 °C (25.5 °F). At the end of July, on the other hand, the temperature reached 52 °C (125 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.

Throughout the year, only 150 mm (6 in) of rain fall, almost all occurring from November to March; from June to September, it never rains. Here is the average precipitation.

In Baghdad, the sun shines quite often even from November to April, when, however, some weather fronts can sometimes affect the city. In summer, clear skies prevail, even though cloud banks can sometimes reach the area. However, with more than 3,200 hours a year, Baghdad is a very sunny city.



In the nearby cities of Kerbala and Ramadi, the climate is similar to that of Baghdad.

Nasiriya

Further south, the temperatures rise a bit in winter: in Basra and Nasiriya, the average in January is 13 °C (55.5 °F). However, the night temperature can sometimes drop to 0 °C (32 °F).
In summer, southern Iraq is one of the hottest areas in the world (or perhaps the hottest).
Rainfall in the south amounts to only 100 mm (4 in) per year, a value typical of a desert climate.
Here are the average temperatures in Nasiriya. As can be seen, the summer temperatures are extremely high.

In Basra, the humidity in summer remains quite low, but it rises a bit compared with other cities, not because of the proximity of the sea but because of the presence of wetlands in the area: in July, the humidity in the afternoon rises to 23%, compared with 10% in Baghdad and 11% in Nasiriya. Instead, the sea has a limited influence: since the prevailing wind blows from the north-west, even in Al-Faw, located on the coast, the air in summer is often dry.

The Persian Gulf is very cool for swimming in winter, while it becomes very warm in summer, since it exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) for a few months. Here is the sea temperature at Al-Faw.

The south-western area of Iraq has a desert climate, and it's the driest area of the country; in fact, precipitation drops to about 50 mm (2 in) per year. In this area, there are practically no settlements because the population is concentrated since ancient times in Mesopotamia, the valley between the two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris.

When to go

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As regards to the temperatures, the best times to visit Iraq are spring and autumn: in the north (see Mosul, Sulaymaniyah), below 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), the best months are April and from mid-October to mid-November, while in the center and south (see Baghdad, Basra), they are March and November: in this way, you avoid both the scorching heat of summer and the possible cold in winter. Sometimes, however, in these periods, it can rain, especially in the north.
In May and October, the temperatures are already well above 30 °C (86 °F) and can already approach 40 °C (104 °F); on the other hand, it almost never rains.

What to pack

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In winter: in the north and north-west (Mosul, Nineveh, Rutbah), bring warm clothes, a jacket, a hat, a raincoat or umbrella, and a scarf; in the mountains of Kurdistan, bring mountain clothing with warm boots; in the center and south (Baghdad, Basra), spring/autumn clothes, a jacket and a sweater, and a hat for cold nights.

In summer: in the whole country at low altitude, from north to south, bring lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing; light and long shirts and pants of natural fibers (cotton, linen), a sun hat, and a desert turban; in the north and north-west (Mosul, Nineveh, Rutbah), you can bring a light sweatshirt for the night and early morning. In the mountains of Kurdistan, light clothes for the day, a sun hat or desert turban, a sweatshirt or sweater for the evening, a jacket for the highest peaks, and hiking shoes.

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