Heat And Cold Waves Reoccurrnce in Sulaymanyah city (1993 – 2015)

Abstract

There are different opinions about the determination of clod and hot waves. In this paper, hot waves are identified based on 5 degrees deviation from monthly mean maximum temperature, and the continuation of the heat wave for at least three consecutive days. On the other hand, cold waves are determined based on 5 degree deviation from monthly mean minimum temperature for three consecutive days.

On the above bases, in weather Sulaimanyah station, which is the center of Sulaimanyah governorate and located in northern Iraq and north east of Kurdistan region, 89 heat waves and 38 cold waves has happened between 1993-2015 which makes a total of 127 cold and heat waves. The frequency of heatwaves occurrence was between 3-10 heat waves per year, while cold waves frequency was 1-6 yearly. Notably, no cold waves have been identified for 6 years.