(25 Jul 2025)
IRAQ HEAT
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 2:51
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baghdad – 22 July 2025
1. Wide of people at a swimming pool
2. Various of people jumping and splashing in water
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Yassir Ammar, Baghdad resident:
"We are here because of the high temperatures and because our houses are small. We don’t have any way to cool our bodies or escape the heat except for these pools and these nice places. So I, the kids, and the whole family come here every other day to enjoy, cool off, rest and then go back home."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baghdad – 21 July 2025
4. Various of water sprinklers installed on market streets
5. Various of people stopping by sprinklers to cool off
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed Ghanim, Baghdad resident:
"We came out today for shopping, but the weather is hot. Thank God we found these sprinklers to cool off, we finish shopping and then go back home. There’s no electricity from the state at home, and this is how we live through the summer."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baghdad – 22 July 2025
7. Various of kittens in pet shop
8. Air-conditioner placed in front of animal cages
9. Dogs locked in cages inside a pet shop
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Amer, pet shop owner in Baghdad:
"All the animals we have here are from Europe, so they can’t handle this hot weather. That’s why we’ve provided them with all kinds of cooling, to make them feel like they’re in the same environment they came from in Europe. We have to provide air coolers and air conditioners so they can live a normal life, just like the one they had back there."
11. Various of cats in cages put in front of air coolers
STORYLINE:
With temperatures soaring above 45°C (113°F) in Baghdad, residents are doing whatever they can to stay cool — especially amid frequent power outages across the national electricity grid.
One popular escape from the relentless heat is the city’s swimming pools, where families gather to cool down and take a break from the sweltering conditions.
"Our houses are small. We don’t have any way to cool our bodies or escape the heat except for these pools," said Yassir Ammar, a Baghdad resident.
In the Iraqi capital’s busy market streets, some shop owners have been using creative ways to beat the heat and keep business going.
Many have set up makeshift cooling systems by attaching water sprinklers to electric fans, offering relief for both themselves and passing shoppers.
"We came out today for shopping, but the weather is hot. Thank God we found these sprinklers to cool off," said Mohammed Ghanim, standing near one of the misting fans.
The extreme heat isn’t just affecting people. Animals are also suffering, especially those kept in pet shops without proper climate control.
"All the animals we have here are from Europe, so they can’t handle this hot weather," said Ahmad Amer, a local pet shop owner.
"We’ve provided them with all kinds of cooling, to make them feel like they’re in the same environment they came from," he added.
In southern Iraq, the situation is even more difficult.
Temperatures there are approaching 50°C (122°F), disrupting daily life for millions, especially with continued electricity shortages.
Iraq regularly experiences extreme heat waves during the summer months, particularly in July and August.
With climate change, poor infrastructure and state planning, and a lack of green spaces , the challenge of staying cool is becoming harder each year.
AP video shot by Ali Jabar
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