BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities temporarily closed Baghdad International Airport early Thursday due to a thick fog that has reduced visibility, the transport ministry said.
At around 12:30 am (2130 GMT), the ministry announced that “Baghdad International Airport has been temporarily closed to air traffic due to bad weather conditions and reduced visibility,” according to the official INA press agency.
Baghdad and other airports — Najaf in central Iraq and Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdistan region — will remain closed until at least midday, the ministry said in a new statement.
A thick fog has blanketed the capital Baghdad and several areas in Iraq, drastically reducing visibility since the early morning hours, according to AFP correspondents.
Heavy rains over the past two days caused flooding in several areas in Iraq, particularly in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region.
Floods in the north killed at least three people, including a child, according to local authorities. A key bridge connecting the northern city of Kirkuk to Baghdad also collapsed.
Authorities hope the heavy rains will help alleviate water shortages in drought-stricken Iraq, after water reserves in artificial lakes hit their lowest levels in the country’s recent history following a dry season.
Iraq, heavily impacted by climate change, has been ravaged for years by drought and low rainfall.