JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much. And as she said, it is just April. Those hot temperatures are just the beginning, because the summer heat starts early in the Iraqi desert. CNN's Bruce Burkhardt has more on that.</s>BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Iraq has some of the highest temperatures in the world. Over the next couple of months temperatures will increase dramatically. The average temperature in Baghdad is 61 degrees in March, and by July, it reaches the mid 90s. The intense heat could cause problems for troops if they need to wear suits that protect against the threat of chemical and biological weapons. These suits are restrictive and cumbersome and are not ventilated. These estimated troops will only be able to stay in the fully-protective suits for 15-20 minutes in the desert, depending on the degree of their activity. Other weather concerns include the lack of rain, which contributes to sandstorms that currently occur every three to five days. During these storms, winds could reach 60 miles per hour. Sandstorms not only make desert maneuvering difficult because of the obscured visibility, they can also quickly clog the engines of tanks and helicopters in the field. They can also affect laser guidance systems, like those used on bombs, because the laser cannot see the target, because of the storm. One thing to keep in mind is that in war, mother nature takes no sides.
Temperatures Heating Up in Iraqi Desert