Heatwave forces Iran to shutter offices

A heatwave blanketing Iran has forced authorities to cut operating hours at various facilities and order all government and commercial institutions to shutter.

The temperature ranged from 37C to 42C in the capital, Tehran, on Saturday, according to weather reports.

State-run IRNA news agency said banks, offices, and public institutions across the country would close on Sunday to protect people's health and conserve energy due to extreme temperatures and that only emergency services and medical agencies would be excluded.

Authorities also cut working hours on Saturday in many provinces due to the sweltering heat, IRNA reported, adding that high temperatures, more than 40C, have been registered in Tehran since Friday.

Iranian media warned people to stay indoors until 5pm.

Authorities also said electricity consumption reached record levels of 78,106 megawatts on Tuesday.

Nournews, close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, reported Wednesday that Iran's temperature was rising at twice the pace of the global temperature, which has increased by more than 1C compared with the long-term average.

Iran had become warmer by 2C in the past 50 years, the agency said.

In 2023, Iran ordered a two-day nationwide holiday due to increasing temperatures.