17 heat records broken in Japan
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Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Scorching Heat in Iran Forces Closure of Public Buildings, Banks
A heatwave in Iran is straining the country's water and power supplies, prompting local authorities to order the closure of public buildings and banks in the capital Tehran and several other provinces on Wednesday, local media reported. The country's meteorological organization put nine of the country's 31 provinces on orange alert for at least the rest of the week, forecasting highs of up to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) 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 the capital, local media said on Tuesday. "Due to rising temperatures and the necessity of optimizing 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 that 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.
Asharq Al-Awsat
9 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Record Heatwave Blasts Northern Vietnam
Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August and electricity demand spiking as people try to stay cool, authorities said Tuesday. Temperatures peaked on Sunday and Monday across the densely populated Red River Delta region, a hugely important industrial and agricultural area, with the capital Hanoi experiencing its first-ever August day above 40C, AFP reported. While Vietnam experiences hot weather every year, scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns, including higher temperatures. The normally bustling streets of Hanoi were quieter on Tuesday as locals hid from the burning heat. Flower seller Ngo Thu Thuy told AFP of her exhaustion from riding her flower bike in the heat. "I earn less as no one bothers to buy flowers in this heat. I still have to try my best to earn my living" said Thuy, 38, covered from head to toe to protect herself from the sun. A construction worker who identified himself as Nam said "too many buildings and vehicles" has turned Hanoi into "a pan on fire" over the past two days. Records set in past heatwaves in 2021 and 2024 were broken at 17 weather stations around the north, though rain forecast for Tuesday evening is expected to bring cooler temperatures. One weather station in downtown Hanoi recorded a high of 40.3C, beating the city's previous August record of 39.8C set in 2021. Outside Hanoi, stations in the provinces of Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Haiphong and Ninh Binh all reported record August highs. "The air humidity in Hanoi and the delta area on Monday was only up to 52 percent, causing a distinct feeling of dryness and heat," Vietnam's top weather forecaster Nguyen Van Huong said in a statement released by the ministry of agriculture and environment. Vietnam's electricity company EVN said consumption in Hanoi hit an all-time record at 1:28 pm (0628 GMT) on Monday as residents sought to cool off with fans and air-conditioning. "I cannot imagine spending the night without air conditioning over the past few days," office worker Dang Xuan Huong told AFP. "It's so strange that we are in August and it is still burning hot", Huong said. But relief could be on the way -- rain forecast for Tuesday night is expected to bring temperatures down.
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran orders office closures as heatwave strains power grid
Iranian authorities ordered many government offices to close on Wednesday in a bid to cut power consumption as a heatwave strains generating capacity, state media reported. At least 15 of Iran's 31 provinces will see public offices either shut or operating on reduced hours, the official IRNA news agency said. Provinces affected include West Azerbaijan and Ardabil in the northwest, Hormozgan in the south, and Alborz in the north, as well as the capital Tehran. Tehran governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said the closures came at the request of the energy ministry and were intended to 'manage energy consumption in the water and electricity sectors', state television said. Emergency and frontline services will remain open, it added. Elevated temperatures that began in mid-July have strained Iran's power grid, prompting rolling blackouts nationwide as temperatures topped 50C in the south. Authorities in Tehran have also reduced mains water pressure to manage falling reservoir levels, as the country endures what Iranian media have described as the worst drought in a century.
