An Iraqi woman cools down with water from a hose in Baghdad, on Aug. 1. The Middle East is enduring one of its hottest summers ever, but Iraqis have had it especially tough. In Baghdad last week, the temperature reached 52° Celsius (125° Fahrenheit), the highest figure ever measured for the capital. Basra, a southern oil hub, reached 53°C, just one degree shy of the overall heat record for the country set in 2016. While things cooled down before the weekend celebration of Eid-al-Adha, temperatures remained well above their historical averages. The stifling heat has forced many people indoors during the day, while others have set up showers in the streets to cool off. Iraq Heatwave The near breakdown of Iraq’s electricity grid has made matters far worse, as regular blackouts cut off air conditioning. Those who can afford them use diesel generators to power cooling equipment, but these […]