Heatwave hits water, electricity supplies across much of Iran
Extreme temperatures, which began on Friday, are expected to ease gradually by Thursday, according to meteorological authorities cited by state television.
Government offices in at least 15 of Iran's 31 provinces, including the capital Tehran, have been ordered to close on Wednesday in a bid to conserve water and electricity.
The measure come as temperatures in parts of southern and southwestern Iran topped 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would extend office closures 'if it deems necessary', while warning of the 'critical situation' in Tehran regarding water supplies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
UAE heatwave intensifies after hottest spring on record
People cover their heads with prayer rugs for shade, following Friday prayers, during the summer heat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 1, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Listen to article The United Arab Emirates is facing surging temperatures this summer after its hottest spring ever, with temperatures soaring close to record highs at the start of August, according to data from the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). The extreme heat in the Gulf country is part of a broader global trend, as rising temperatures continue to reach new heights. Last year was the hottest ever recorded worldwide when global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial era levels. Read More: Climate not behind agri-sector fall The temperature surge followed the UAE's hottest April and May on record, the NCM said. On August 1, the temperature in the desert town of Sweihan hit 51.8°C (125.2°F), the highest since 2021, the NCM said. This was just shy of the UAE's all-time high of 52.1°C (125.8°F) set in July 2002, also in Sweihan. Inland areas repeatedly experienced daily temperatures above 50°C in June and July, while seaside urban centres like Dubai and Abu Dhabi consistently posted highs in the mid-forties. The NCM expects the rest of the summer to remain hotter than usual, forecasting August temperatures 0.25°C to 0.5°C above average. Also Read: Global weather change While the NCM has warned residents to limit sun exposure and avoid being outdoors during peak hours, such precautions aren't always possible for those in outdoor industries, like construction and agriculture. "We are whining while sitting in the air-condition... they (outdoor labourers) are working actually 24/7 in this heat," said Yasir Shahad, a visitor from Australia.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
US natural gas lower
NEW YORK: US natural gas futures fell on Friday on forecasts for less hot weather in the coming weeks than previously expected, which should reduce demand for the fuel. Front-month gas futures for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled 0.7% lower at $3.08 per million British thermal units. 'The weather pattern for the immediate near term isn't as bullish as we have seen for the past few weeks. This will result in lower power burn demand which is a factor the market has been dealing with for the last few sessions,' said Robert DiDona, president of Energy Ventures Analysis. Financial firm LSEG estimated 235 cooling degree days over the next two weeks. CDDs, used to estimate demand to cool homes and businesses, measure the number of degrees a day's average temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius).
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Express Tribune
Embers of denial
Listen to article Europe is ablaze and not just with heat. This summer, Europe endured a heatwave of unprecedented ferocity. From late June into early July, cities across the continent were gripped by temperatures soaring past forty degrees Celsius. In Portugal, June records shattered as the mercury climbed to 46.6 degrees. Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom all recorded record-breaking heat, triggering health alerts, school closures, and even temporary shutdowns of nuclear reactors in Switzerland The human cost has been heart-rending. Over a mere ten-day span, an estimated 2,300 lives were lost across twelve major European cities, with approximately 1,500 of those fatalities directly attributable to climate change's intensification of the heatwave. Portugal alone reported nearly 300 excess deaths in June, mostly among the elderly. These are not distant tragedies. They are our collective failure to heed warnings. Severe wildfires swept across Europe, affecting Spain, Greece, Turkey, France, and the UK. In Spain, a fire near Madrid burned 3,000 hectares and forced evacuations. Crete saw over 1,500 people displaced by fires, while blazes in Izmir, Turkey, led to casualties and uprooted more than 50,000. The UK experienced its worst wildfire season on record. Overall, nearly 6 million hectares have burned this season. These scenes are not mere statistics; they are tears in our shared fabric of civilisation. Hospitals have been overwhelmed, rescue workers stretched thin, and economies bruised. Farmers survey charred fields. Tourists flee burning shores. A continent defining itself through culture, art, and community is now haunted by climate's cruelty. The causes are unmistakable. Europe warms at twice the global rate, its geography amplifying temperature spikes. Climate scientists warn this is not a fleeting anomaly; it is the new normal. We invited this destruction with inaction, denial, and shortsightedness. Emergency response must be reimagined. Heat health plans must expand, protecting the vulnerable with accessible cooling shelters and early alert systems. Equip ambulance teams and hospitals with protocols tailored to heat crises. Citizens must be taught to recognise heat stroke and take simple preventive measures. Forests require stewardship that matches the scale of devastation. Land management must focus on controlled burns, firebreaks, and community education. Early detection systems like satellites, drones, heat sensors must become common tools, not distant fantasies. And evacuation strategies must respect local voices, drawing on pastoral knowledge and lived experience to guide effective responses. Urban planning demands transformation. Cities must be retrofitted to withstand the new climate reality. Green corridors, reflective surfaces, and denser shade trees not decorative afterthoughts must become central to civic design. Building codes should mandate fire-resistant materials and design that respects natural floodplains and wind paths. But long-term solutions must transcend bricks and asphalt. Governments must re-establish climate mitigation as a moral imperative. Emissions targets must be met with humility and enforced with integrity. Coal must not be a fallback; fossil fuel subsidies must not be a policy tool. Renewable infrastructure must be accelerated, not delayed by corporate compromise or political cowardice. Europe's summer fires will end, but the crisis will continue. Europe can lead this transformation, and yet many leaders still protect growth at the expense of survival. That must end. The calculus is simple: business as usual will kill. Bold choices, even unprofitable ones are the price of preservation. This summer will be etched into memory, not as a freak anomaly, but as a reckoning. We stand at a crossroads where apathy leads to ashes, and ambition leads to resilience. Europe and the world must choose with urgency. To protect lives, to heal the land, and to demand a future where climate extremes are resisted, not endured. We have been warned. We now must act.
