Epic Middle East Heat Wave Is Being Compared to Weapon of Mass Destruction

Recent extreme heat events in the Middle East have climate scientists worried about future climate-related catastrophes. Temperatures have climbed above 115 F across the region this summer and Kuwait and Iraq recently recorded most likely the hottest temperatures ever in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Temperatures simulated by the GFS model in the Middle East reached 129 F on Friday, July 22. WeatherBell.com

Record-breaking extreme heat—estimated to have claimed more lives than wars—has worsened over the years and recent studies have suggested future climate change will make parts of the region uninhabitable. A sergeant major in Iraq equated the heat wave to a weapon of mass destruction, saying, “It makes my skin crawl. It is killing us.”

For a deeper dive:

News: Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Economist

Commentary: Pacific Standard, Mark Schapiro op-ed

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