Temperatures hit 8-year high in Iraq this month, a daily 48 C

NASIRIYAH - Hospital ventilators shut down, soccer matches with frequent hydration breaks, spoiled food in refrigerators: Iraq's notorious summer has arrived.

As one of the hottest countries in the world with around half of its terrain covered in desert, Iraq is no stranger to stifling hot summers.

But even by its own standards, this June has been a sizzler - averaging a daily 48 C, compared to around 40 C in previous years.