Cold Snap in Middle East

Snow fell in Baghdad for the first time in living memory.

The Middle East has suffered a very rare cold snap, with temperatures falling as low as -16º in some places. Crops have been damaged and at least 10 people have died. Weather officials are eagerly watching to see if previous record lows will be broken.

There is dissension amongst the experts as to the cause of this unusual weather pattern. some insist it is due to environmental changes, while others disagree. While much has been made about global warming and other environmental concerns as late, weather patterns are known to run in cycles and this may very well just be one of those cycles.