Marek Kučera 
On July 17, 2025, Basrah, a key city in southern Iraq, recorded an intense temperature of +51.6°C, marking one of the hottest days in the country’s history. This reading stands just 2.3°C below its all-time high, highlighting the extreme heatwave gripping the region.
Basrah’s blistering temperature underscores the severe summer heat typical of Mesopotamia’s desert climate but pushed to unprecedented levels by ongoing global warming. Such extreme heat poses serious risks to health, infrastructure, and water resources in this economically and culturally vital area.
The relentless heat exacerbates energy demands for cooling, strains public health systems, and threatens agriculture and water supplies. With minimum temperatures remaining high, nighttime relief is minimal, intensifying heat stress.
This near-record temperature in Basrah is part of a growing pattern of extreme heat events across the Middle East, signaling urgent challenges for adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basra
Illustration picture: https://www.gpsmartstadium.com/portfolio-view/basra-sports-city-stadium/
