Scorching heat causes two days of closures across Iran
The Iranian government has ordered two days of closures across the country to protect people from health conditions that could be caused by scorching summer heat.
Government Spokesman Ali Bahadori said on Tuesday that government offices, banks and stock markets will be closed down across Iran on two working weekdays on Wednesday and on Thursday in anticipation of temperatures that could climb above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
The decision was adopted by the Iranian Cabinet in response to a request by the country’s health ministry, Bahadori said.
He recommended children, the elderly and people with chronic diseases to stay indoors over the two holidays.
The official also urged people to manage their use of electricity for cooling as the country faces a record demand for power this summer.
Temperatures were expected to reach as much as 40 Celsius in Tehran on Wednesday, according to forecasts by the Iran Meteorological Organization.
Iranian health ministry said the number of people referring to hospitals in the country for heatstroke had reached near alarming levels, adding that health centers across Iran would be on high alert over the next hot days to respond to any emergencies.
Some reports said government-ordered closures were also aimed at avoiding power cuts that could be caused by increasing demand for cooling.
Iranian Energy Ministry figures show demand for electricity in the country reached all-time peaks of nearly 73 gigawatts (GW) in recent days of which some 32 GW have been used by coolers and air conditioners.
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