ISTANBUL  –  Unstable weather conditions, ranging from cold to stormy, have hit five Arab countries, while snowfall and a cold wave in Iraq forced schools to close on Monday and Tuesday. Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iraq have all experienced cold and unstable weather, according to separate statements from their weather departments. Iraqi Meteorological Department spokesman Amir al-Jabir said in a statement that “the country has been affected by a polar air mass, especially after snowfall in some western and northern regions.” “The cold wave will end by next Thursday,” said the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), quoting al-Jabir’s forecast. In response to the weather, Salahuddin and Nineveh provinces decided to suspend school on Monday and delay the start of work for government employees. Kirkuk province has also announced school closures on Monday and Tuesday due to the drop in temperatures, according to INA.