Meteorology excludes dust storms during the coming winter season in Iraq

The General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring confirmed, on Friday, that there are no indicators of dust storms during the winter season, while predicting scattered rain showers during today and the coming days. The official spokesman for the authority, Amer Al-Jabri, stated in a statement that the weather in the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy in some places, with chances of light to moderate rain showers, which may be accompanied by lightning and thunder at intervals, in scattered areas of the central and northern regions, concentrated in their eastern parts, as well as limited places in the northern sections of the southern region. He added that the winds in the central and northern regions will be northwestern, light to moderate in speed, ranging between 10 and 20 km/h, with periods of calm in some places, while they will be southeastern in the southern region. He pointed out that visibility will be very good, and there will be no effects on traffic or air navigation movement. He explained that temperatures will be close to what the country recorded yesterday in the central and northern regions, with a slight rise in the southern region, making the autumn atmosphere moderate, tending to warmth during the afternoon hours, while it is moderate and tends to relative coldness during the morning and night. He pointed out that the weather condition during the current week will witness a slight variation in temperatures, with expectations of a decrease in the coming period, while remaining within their general averages. The weather forecasting department confirmed that there are still no indicators of an extreme weather event occurring in the coming days. Regarding the expectations of the upcoming winter season, he explained that the weather forecasting department has not issued an initial report yet regarding the nature of the season, and expectations will be announced if a report is issued in this regard. He pointed out that there are currently no indicators of dust storms occurring, indicating that some dusty conditions may occur occasionally, and wind speeds during them may reach 50 or 60 km/h, without necessarily affecting air navigation or traffic movement. Regarding rain, he explained that its quantities are recorded through meteorological stations, then kept in special records, while being compared annually with the data arriving at the Climate and Scientific Research Center. He expected that rain will usually begin falling from light to moderate during November, and may extend to December, confirming that the activity of atmospheric pressure systems affects the amounts and distribution of rain. He explained that the atmosphere, temperatures, and dust quantities are considered normal so far, and there are no indicators of recurring dust storms, pointing out that the authority will announce any new warnings or data issued by the weather forecasting department.