BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's state-run Meteorological Department said on Saturday that it had registered the hottest day so far this year, with maximum temperatures hitting 53.9 degrees Celsius (129.02 Fahrenheit) in the southern city of Basra. Starting from Saturday, temperatures are expected to hover around 49 degrees Celsius (120.2 Fahrenheit) in Basra and continue to decline in the coming days, weather forecaster Nagham Mohammed told The Associated Press. The heat waves in recent years only added to the woes Iraqis have endured since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, including daily violence, political wrangling, poor public services, a massive exodus abroad of professionals and high rates of serious crime like kidnappings for ransom, armed robberies and contract killings.