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Thursday, July 21

"More all-time record challenging heat to scorch the Middle East on Friday"



By Eric Leister, Meteorologist
July 20, 2016; 10:06 AM ET
A powerful area of high pressure centered from Iraq into the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf threatens to scorch the region with another day of historic heat on Friday.
Friday will bring a repeat of Thursday with temperatures once again flirting with all-time record highs.
The highest likelihood for all-time record high temperatures is from southern Iraq and southwestern Iran into Kuwait and northeastern Saudi Arabia.
Many current all-time records in these areas are between 51 and 53 C (124 and 127 F) and similar or slightly higher temperatures are possible on Friday.
In Basrah, Iraq, temperatures will rise to the all-time record high of 53.0 C (127.4 F) that was just set on Thursday. The previous record was 52 C (125.6 F), according to data by Maximiliano Herrera.
The temperature soared to 52.6 C (126.7 F) in Nasiriyah, Iraq, on Wednesday, only 0.4 C (0.7 F) from the all-time record.
Even if all-time records are not set, dangerous heat is expected in these cities and Kuwait City, Kuwait, and Ahvaz, Iran. High dew points created by the Persian Gulf will result in oppressively higher AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures.
On Friday, the extreme heat will also intensify in central Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh, where all-time records are around 120 C (49 F).
[...] 
The area of high pressure producing this record-challenging heat will weaken over the weekend and early next week ending the threat for records to fall.
Dangerous heat will continue, however, with temperatures several degrees above normal throughout the region.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
 [END REPORT]
I'll have to go back through my archives to double check but isn't this the second year in a row that the Middle East has been fried by "historic" temperatures?  [taptaptap] Yes. August last year.  Remember this headline?

Feels-Like Temp Reaches 164 Degrees in Iran, 159 in Iraq; Days Off Ordered as Mideast Broils in Extreme Heat Wave
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