Iraq was hit with a series of power outages on Friday amid extremely high temperatures; Iraq has been forced to significantly reduce its power usage in multiple regions as temperatures exceed 48 degrees Celsius.
During a time in which some of the highest temperatures are reached, several people have been left without power throughout Iraq. Temperatures reached 48 degrees Celsius in some areas, and exceeded 50 degrees Celsius in other locations (118 – 122 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday. The power outages, accompanied by water cuts, eventually led to protests.
As reported by Reuters, one local man said, “It’s just getting worse. We can take power cuts, even 10 hours of cuts a day, but just give us something.”
While some power returned by mid-day, almost all of the country had lost its power early in the morning. Another report stated that one man revealed his process for staying cool: to dip his clothes in water and lay on the concrete in his house.
Iraq’s electricity minister resigned earlier this week, and protestors often cite Iraq’s reliance on Iran for energy as the reason for this dilemma. Furthermore, recent attacks on energy resources by militants in the region has been a major factor leading up to Friday’s crisis.
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