Believe it or not, Iraq has a "rainy season", generally from approximately November to March. During these months there will only be a few brief, violent rainstorms that account for most of the 10 to 17 cm of rain this region gets all year. When the rain is accompanied by wind, which it usually is, the dust in the air combines with the rain to create little rain droplets of mud that I assure you no one tries to catch in their mouth.
Round one of the rainy season struck this week, a few hours of steady rain has created a foot or more of muddy, sandy mess EVERYWHERE. It amazes me how non-absorbent the desert is. Tactical vehicles, non-tactical vehicles, and tanker trucks are sliding off roads all over the place. In the right light, the mud and water looks just like a light coat of snow.
In connection with the wet weather, the temperature has dropped an average of 40 degrees from what it was when I left country for leave. Tonight we're expecting a balmy 44 degrees, with a high tomorrow of only 65 and overcast. Last night was the first time I turned off my AC since I arrived here. I even tried out the heater in my room to see if it worked in anticipation of cooler temps- it spewed smoke, dust, sand and smelled like burning, but it made heat. Unfortunately it also set off the smoke detector.
--KYLE
YUCK!
ReplyDelete--The Mom