ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Baghdad on Wednesday morning recorded the lowest temperature in 13 years at minus five degrees Celsius.

Iraq's meteorology department announced on Wednesday that the Iraqi capital on Wednesday morning recorded minus five degrees Celsius, the lowest Baghdad has seen in 13 years amid a cold front sweeping the Middle East in recent days.

A cold wave took Iraq by surprise over the past week, resulting in cancelling working hours and schools in multiple provinces.

The sharp drop in temperature culminated in Baghdad’s 13-year-record temperature before the weather goes back to normal in the coming days, as projected by weather monitor Ali al-Ziyadi. 

“There is a further rise in temperature on Thursday, so that the atmosphere returns to normal during the day and the wave recedes completely on Friday,” Ziyadi said. 

The country experienced snowfall in the northern Kurdistan Region, resulting in captivating scenes of snow-capped mountains and snow-covered landscapes.

The cold wave was caused by a rush of very cold polar air masses into the region, according to Arabia Weather, that covered 13 Arab countries.