iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
PM2.5 reached levels higher than average in India due to human and industrial activity, according to the UN weather agency
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Iran shuts to tackle heatwave
At least 225 Iranians have been hospitalised due to the extreme heat since Friday, says national emergency service
An Iranian mechanic works during the heat surge in Tehran, Iran, on July 21, 2024. -- Reuters
Iranian banks and most government institutes will be closed on Sunday and people were asked to avoid leaving home as the country faces a scorching heatwave, state media said.
At least 225 Iranians have been hospitalised due to the extreme heat since Friday, the national emergency service said, while officials reported record energy consumption.
"Banks and other public institutions will be closed on Sunday in order to protect people's health and conserve energy," said a government statement shared by official news agency IRNA.
It noted that "emergency and relief agencies are excluded" from the nationwide shutdown.
Public sector working hours were already halved on Saturday, the first day of the week in Iran.
Babak Yektaparast, spokesman for Iran's emergency service, recommended people to stay indoors between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
On Saturday, the government set the opening time for banks and other state institutions at 6:00 am to allow people to complete errands before temperatures soared.
Working hours on Saturday were cut in half, helping to save 1,000 megawatts of electricity, IRNA reported.
Iranian officials said on Thursday that electricity consumption had hit an all-time high with more than 79,000 megawatts.
The heatwave has blanketed Iran, pushing the temperature well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the capital Tehran.
In the southwestern city of Dalgan, in Sistan-Baluchistan province, the mercury hit 50C, according to Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim said at least 10 out Iran's 31 provinces experienced temperatures above 45C since Friday.
According to IRNA, the heatwave is expected to continue over the next four days, though temperatures are forecast to ease gradually beginning Monday.
Globally, last Monday was the hottest day recorded since measurements began in 1940, the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation programme said.
Scientists have linked climate change to more prolonged, stronger and more frequent extreme weather, including heatwaves.
More news from World
The rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata on August 9 has stoked nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women
The decision by District Judge Barker maintains a pause on the programme through September 23 to allow for legal briefing and a possible hearing
Trump has argued that the prosecution, and other legal cases against him, are politically motivated attempts to undermine his presidential campaign
The debate will be the first between Trump and Harris, who took over as the Democratic candidate from Biden following his decision to step aside on July 21
Unity between faiths has been the central theme of the pontiff's Asia trip and a declaration they signed called for 'religious harmony for the sake of humanity'
Musk risks possible EU sanctions in the coming months for allegedly breaking new content rules
More than 90 per cent of buildings within a so-called buffer zone appeared to have been destroyed or severely damaged, according to the London-based rights group