Iran announces 2-day closure for public, private institutions ahead of heatwave

TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian government announced on Tuesday that public and private institutions across the country will be closed for two days to mitigate the impact of an unprecedented heatwave on public health.

"Because of the unprecedented heat in the coming days, the cabinet has agreed to a proposal put forward by the Health Ministry for closures across the country on Wednesday and Thursday to protect citizens' health," government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi tweeted.

In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Bahadori Jahromi said all state-run and private institutions will be closed, and institutions that provide essential services can obtain permits from relevant authorities to continue their operations.

On Monday, Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said his ministry had submitted to the cabinet a 2-day closure proposal for regions with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius after a heatwave was forecast to hit the country on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to weather forecasts by Iran Meteorological Organization, temperatures in most Iranian provinces would likely rise close to or above 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures in some cities such as Ahvaz surpassing 50 degrees Celsius.