(3 Aug 2020) LEAD IN:
Iraq is in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures rising above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) during the day.
Iraqis' tempers are rising along with their thermometers over their government's failure to provide reliable electricity.
STORY-LINE:
As temperatures soar to record levels this summer, Iraq's power supply falls short of demand again, providing a spark for renewed anti-government protests.
Amid a nationwide virus lockdown, homes are without electricity for hours in the blistering heat.
Two protesters were killed after a demonstration over power outages in the Iraqi capital Baghdad last week.
With such scorching heat likely to continue for at least two days, people are doing anything they can to stay cool.
"We have to bring our children downstairs, spray them with water so they can cool down," says Ahmed Mohamed, a resident of Baghdad as he sprays his daughters with a hose.
Relying entirely on private generators, some shops have installed sprinkler systems and fans to help customers cool down.
In Basra, residents are swimming in polluted waters to bear the heat.
"We swim here because of the lack of electricity, this river is full of bottles, glass, frogs, animals, and dirt," says Ahmed al-Mayahi, Basra resident.
"All the areas in Basra suffer due to the lack of electricity, it comes one hour out of every four," he adds.
Billions of dollars have been spent trying to fix the grid since the 2003 invasion.
For decades, the infrastructure suffered from neglect brought on by wars and United Nations trade sanctions under late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Since then the rebuilding effort has faced a multitude of setbacks, including a drop in oil prices that forced budget cuts and a change in the government's focus to revenue-boosting projects such as improving the oil industry.
Demand for power, meanwhile, has swelled with the proliferation of construction projects and consumer appliances.
Many Iraqis currently spend more than $100 a month to tap into neighbourhood generators to extend their power, leaving a mass of cables and wires crisscrossing streets.
But patience is running thin this year with a heatwave across Iraq and anger over the political deadlock and the government's failure to deliver after years of promises.
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