Government spokeswoman Fatem Mohajelani said on Sunday’s X-account that Tehran will be closed on Wednesday, July 23rd due to “continuous intense heat” and “the need to control water and power consumption.”
Wednesday is the last day of the week in the capital Tehran. The government hopes to use extra holidays to travel to cooler parts of Iran to ease pressure on the electric grid and water supply systems in Tehran, a city with a population of nearly 10 million.
Temperatures have been above 40 degrees Celsius in many areas of Tehran these days and are expected to remain high until the weekend.
It caused a sharp increase in demand for both homes and businesses to warm up air conditioners to escape the fierce heat.
Many people in Tehran use traditional marsh coolers that rely on a significant amount of water on hot days.
It led to a significant increase in Tehran’s demand for piped water. Iran’s Energy Minister Abbas Alibadi confirmed on Sunday a report that some areas of the city have recently received water at lower than normal water pressures, according to Press TV.
Aliabadi apologized for the issue and said that local water companies in Tehran were forced to lower the pressure to provide water to all citizens.
Iranian Meteorological Agency Tehran Bureau issued a hot yellow warning on Saturday, saying the heat will remain in the city until Wednesday.
“The yellow level warning means there are atmospheric phenomena that can disrupt citizens’ movements and everyday life,” Isna News Agency said in a statement.
MNA/