At a Glance

• Heavy rainfall caused flooding across Erbil, disrupting traffic and leaving vehicles stranded on several roads.

• Erbil Civil Defense urged residents to avoid unnecessary trips amid continuing weather-related risks.

• Kurdistan Region education authorities confirmed that governors and independent administrations can announce school holidays based on local conditions.

• Iraq's federal government also authorized provincial governors to declare a holiday for Sunday in response to severe weather.

Heavy rainfall triggered flooding across parts of the Kurdistan Region on Saturday, disrupting traffic in Erbil and prompting emergency warnings. Education authorities in both the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq have also given local officials the authority to suspend classes in areas affected by adverse weather conditions.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Erbil Civil Defense Issues Public Warning

Erbil's Civil Defense Directorate urged residents to avoid leaving their homes unless necessary, as heavy rainfall and flooding created hazardous conditions across the city.

Emergency and municipal teams were deployed to respond to flooding, assist stranded motorists and address drainage problems.

KRG Education Ministry Delegates School Closure Decisions

Kurdistan Region Ministry of Education spokesperson Paiman Khwaja said governors and heads of independent administrations have the authority to announce school holidays based on local weather conditions.

The decision allows local authorities to assess risks in their respective areas and suspend classes when necessary to protect students and school staff.

Federal Government Authorizes Provincial Governors

Iraq's federal Ministry of Education also instructed provincial directors-general to assess local conditions and close schools exposed to severe weather or flooding risks.

Separately, the federal government authorized provincial governors to declare Sunday a public holiday in response to the weather conditions.

Heavy seasonal rainfall caused flooding in Erbil on Saturday, inundating streets and disrupting movement across several parts of the city. Videos circulating from the regional capital showed vehicles stranded in floodwater, while emergency and municipal teams worked to respond to the situation.

Erbil's Civil Defense Directorate called on residents to remain indoors unless travel was essential, warning against unnecessary movement as the weather conditions continued to pose risks.

The rainfall also brought precipitation to other parts of the Kurdistan Region, including Sulaymaniyah. The downpours are expected to provide some relief to local water resources, although the extent of any impact on reservoirs and groundwater levels requires confirmation from relevant authorities.

In response to the weather, the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Education confirmed that governors and heads of independent administrations can independently announce school holidays according to conditions in their areas.

At the federal level, Iraq's Ministry of Education directed provincial education officials to assess weather-related risks and suspend classes where necessary. The federal government also authorized governors to declare Sunday a holiday, allowing local authorities to respond to conditions in their provinces.

The measures reflect the need for localized decisions as rainfall and flooding risks vary across different parts of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

FYI

Heavy rainfall can provide important seasonal support for water resources in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where dam levels and groundwater supplies are closely tied to precipitation. However, intense downpours can also overwhelm urban drainage systems, creating immediate risks for residents and infrastructure. The decisions to delegate school closures and public-holiday announcements to local authorities allow responses to reflect conditions on the ground rather than applying a single measure across all areas.