Since the beginning of the rainy season, 584.2 millimeters of rain has fallen in the Kurdistan Region’s capital city of Erbil, more than double the amount last year.
Duhok has seen 823.3 millimeters of rainfall, which is nearly twice the amount of last year.
Halabja has received 811.6 millimeters of rain, compared to 514.6 millimeters the previous year.
Sulaimani, however, has seen less precipitation this year. It has received 672.5 millimeters of rain, just shy of its annual average of 675 millimeters.
Aso Kamal, the head of Sulaimani’s meteorology department, told Rudaw that he expects the province will surpass the annual average with rain in the forecast over the next few days.
Kamal said that the figure measured rainfall within the city center and that the outskirts have received more rain.
The rainy winter has caused numerous vast floods that have led to several deaths and destroyed homes across the Kurdistan Region. Heavy downpours and flash floods have become more common in recent years.
Four hikers were swept away by flood water in Sulaimani province’s Qaradagh town on Friday. None of them survived. One of the dead had recently overcome cancer. Police arrested the guide of the 12-member hiking group.
A 25-year-old pregnant woman was killed in Erbil province’s Kore sub-district on Wednesday after flooding caused a wall to fall on her as she was rushing to safety. Three other women were severely injured in the incident.
Three people were killed in flooding in Duhok in March.
Kurdistan Region's meteorology department has issued several warnings about the stormy weather and has forecast more rain for the next several days.
