Temperatures in the southwestern Iranian city of Omidyar reached 51 degrees Celsius as the country faces a severe water crisis, DPA reported, citing Iranian state television. In other cities, maximum temperatures also exceeded 45 degrees, BTA reported.
Based on a warning from the meteorological agency, the television reported that sandstorms and poor air quality were expected in Iran in the coming days. The heat wave is exacerbating the country's water crisis, with climate experts saying that 80% of the country's reservoirs are almost empty. Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the capital Tehran could go into a water regime.
Iran is one of the driest countries in the world, and in recent years there has been a significant decrease in rainfall. Climatologists note an increase in dry periods and flash floods. According to experts, climate change is affecting the country faster and more severely than many other regions in the world.
Death Valley in the eastern part of the California desert is considered the hottest place on Earth. The record temperature of 56.7 degrees Celsius was measured in Furnace Creek in July 2013, although in 2016 scientists determined that from a meteorological point of view this was “impossible“ and was probably a measurement error.