MAYSAN, Iraq - Ali al-Gharbi, located in Maysan province 235 km southeast of Baghdad, is one of the hottest places in the world, with temperatures soaring to as high as 55°C in the summer.
There is little relief from the sweltering conditions. Even the water that comes out of the tap is hot. Some are able to seek a cool refuge in the Tigris River.
"At home, the water is very hot and doesn't work for showering. So we went to the river to swim. Here the water is cold and some young people who don't know how to swim drown," Jaafar Falah, a student, told Rudaw.
The extreme heat saps everyone's energy, leaving the streets and markets empty.
