Civil servants have been sent home in many parts of Iraq as temperatures rise above 50°C in some areas, local media reported.

Several cities in the country topped the list of the hottest places in the world. Due to the scorching heat, at least 10 provinces have suspended the work of most government employees, Kurdistan24 reports.

The suffering is exacerbated by regular power outages that render the air conditioner unavailable.

Suffocating dust storms have also intensified this year. Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense and last longer due to anthropogenic climate change.

Iraq has been recognized by the UN as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the Middle East. The heat wave in the country has been ongoing since mid-July and is projected to continue.

Scorching heat is not unusual in Iraq, as it is in one of the hottest places on earth. But residents say conditions are deteriorating. In the southern port of Basra, where the temperature is especially high, a four-day vacation for state employees has begun.