Iraqi cities have recorded the highest temperatures globally, according to international indicators, with 11 provinces topping the list of the world’s hottest cities, reaching temperatures near the boiling point.
According to US data, the city of Amara recorded the highest temperature globally at 50.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Nasiriyah at 50.8 degrees Celsius. The third hottest was the Al-Hussein District in Basra province at 50.5 degrees Celsius, followed by the city of Kut at 50.5 degrees Celsius. The Kuwait International Airport in Kuwait ranked fifth with a temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius.
The table also shows that the city of Ahvaz in Iran came in sixth with a temperature of 50.4 degrees Celsius. Holy Karbala in Iraq was seventh at 50.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Omidieh in Iran at 50.2 degrees Celsius. Samawah in Iraq ranked ninth at 49.8 degrees Celsius, and Safi Abad Dezful in Iran was tenth at 49.7 degrees Celsius. The Basra International Airport in Iraq was eleventh at 49.6 degrees Celsius.
In response, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged the Iraqi government to take effective steps to adjust working hours and organize awareness campaigns about heat stress to mitigate the impact of extreme temperature rises.
The ILO’s country coordinator in Iraq, Maha Qata’a, noted that Iraq is one of the most affected countries by climate change in the Arab region, emphasizing the importance of updating the legal framework related to occupational safety and health and developing measures to protect workers from extreme heat during the summer.
ILO warned that workers in exposed sectors, such as construction and agriculture, are among the most vulnerable, as temperatures can rise above 50 degrees Celsius, causing serious health effects.
