Heat wave and fasting add to woes of Iraqis

Bill Syrett provides historical data on record high temperatures in Iraq.

The New York Times
By
Published: August 2, 2011

William J. Syrett, who teaches meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, said it was 124 degrees in Baghdad on Tuesday, matching an all-time high for the capital. In the southern city of Diwaniya, the temperature climbed to 126 degrees. Some records say the country’s all-time high is 126, while others say it is 131, he said.

“The data for Iraq in the ’80s and ’90s took a real hit because of the Iran-Iraq war, which was catastrophic for the country’s infrastructure, so we don’t have all the data,” Mr. Syrett said in a telephone interview.

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