Iran heatwave forces closure of public buildings, banks
The country's meteorological agency put nine of Iran's 31 provinces on orange alert for at least the rest of the week, forecasting highs of up to 50C for several days in some areas.
High temperatures in Iran are common during the summer months, but reservoirs are depleted after repeated droughts and electricity supplies struggle to cope when air conditioners are cranked up in homes and workplaces.
The closure of banks, government offices and other public buildings on Wednesday will affect the provinces of Mazandaran, Markazi, Yazd, Semnan, Kermanshah and Razavi Khorasan, along with Tehran, local media said.
"Due to rising temperatures and the necessity of optimising and managing energy consumption, the activities of executive agencies in Tehran province will be closed on Wednesday," state broadcaster IRINN quoted Tehran Governor Mohammadsadeq Motamedian as saying.
Medical facilities, private companies and selected bank branches will remain open.
Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned the country's excessive water consumption was untenable and could leave cities including Tehran with severe shortages by September.
In July 2024, during another severe heatwave, several provinces across Iran decided to close public offices for a few days to save on water and electricity.
with AP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
9 News
a day ago
- 9 News
Firefighters make progress against blaze near LA that forced thousands to flee
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Firefighters in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles made good progress in their battle against a brush fire that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, officials said on Friday (local time). The Canyon Fire ignited on Thursday afternoon and spread rapidly in the dry, steep terrain in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to more than 22 square kilometers. It was 25 per cent contained as of Friday afternoon, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It's close to Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. (AP) At least 400 personnel battled the blaze along with several planes and helicopters, county fire department public information officer Andrew Dowd said. The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It's close to Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 39 square kilometers in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings. Firefighters battling the Canyon Fire took advantage of lower temperatures overnight to directly attack the fire and made lots of progress, Dowd said. By Friday morning, they were seeing subdued fire behavior, he said. With 100-degree temperatures and strong winds, firefighters faced a 'tough firefight' on Thursday, Dowd said. 'They were putting it all on the line to bring this fire under control,' he said. One firefighter reported a minor injury, but no civilian injuries were reported, Dowd said. No single-family or multi-family residences were destroyed, but two minor structures were destroyed, he said. Sunny, hot and dry conditions were expected on Friday in the area where the Canyon Fire was burning, with the daytime high near 38 degrees Celsius and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to be light in the morning and grow from the south to southwest in the afternoon. Firefighters battle the Canyon Fire in Hasley Canyon, California. (AP) The wind was expected to stick around onFriday, but at a slightly lower magnitude, according to Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist at the weather service's office in Oxnard. The humidity was expected to remain low, and the fuels were very dry and receptive to burning quickly, he said. Given these conditions, people should be very careful to avoid sparks, he said. 'These fires can start and grow pretty rapidly because of how dry everything is and how hot everything is,' he said. In LA County, around 2,700 residents evacuated with 700 structures under an evacuation order, officials said late on nThursday. Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were covered by an evacuation warning. Areas within the Val Verde zone had been reduced from an order to a warning. The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate. 'Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed," Barger said in a statement. 'If first responders tell you to leave, go — without hesitation.' The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state's largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest. The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Dowd said. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area. (AP) The Gifford Fire had spread to 402 square kilometers by Friday morning with 15 per cent containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted August 1 along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation. Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state. USA California Los Angeles fires wildlife World CONTACT US Auto news: Honda here to stay in Australia, announces growth plans.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
Four dead, more than 50 missing in India flash floods
At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge, authorities added. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working "on a war footing." "We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief," he said in a statement. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state. There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate. with AP At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge, authorities added. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working "on a war footing." "We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief," he said in a statement. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state. There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate. with AP At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge, authorities added. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working "on a war footing." "We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief," he said in a statement. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state. There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate. with AP At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge, authorities added. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working "on a war footing." "We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief," he said in a statement. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state. There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate. with AP
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Perth Now
Four dead, more than 50 missing in India flash floods
At least four people are dead and more than 50 are missing after surging floodwaters swept through a village in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Teams from army and disaster response forces had reached the area, local authorities said, with workers trying to rescue people trapped under debris and sludge, authorities added. TV news channels showed water, mud and debris surging down a mountain, sweeping away homes and a road. The mudslide cleaved through Dharali village, burying some houses, according to a video update shared by the state chief minister's office. "A massive mudslide struck Dharali village in the KheerGad area near Harsil, triggering a sudden flow of debris and water through the settlement," the Central Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. "About a dozen hotels have been washed away and several shops have collapsed," said Prashant Arya, an administrative officer who added that rescuers including Indian army and police were searching for the missing. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said rescue agencies were working "on a war footing." "We are doing everything possible to save lives and provide relief," he said in a statement. Uttarakhand is prone to floods and landslides, which some experts blame on climate change. At least 200 people died in 2021 when flash floods swept away two hydroelectric projects in the state. There are about 10,000 glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, and many are receding due to the warming climate. with AP
