Heatwaves, electricity crisis force Iran government to declare national holiday, President Ebrahim Raisi comes under fire

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

The national holiday was declared after the Ministry of Health asked the government to do so for giving the citizens relief from the sweltering heat and rising temperatures. Besides the government offices, banks, financial institutions, and most private businesses have put down the shutters.

The weather experts have said that though the temperatures have been rising in the sweltering heat, these are not unexpected. The mercury has been soaring and touching new heights for quite some time.

Tehran’s average temperature in the month of August has been 36 degrees Celsius or 97 degrees Fahrenheit. But the highest temperature has been recorded at 42 degrees Celsius or 108 degrees Fahrenheit. The mercury touched 37 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and it is most likely to go to 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.

According to the media reports, some provinces like Sistan and Baluchestan recorded as high as 45 degrees Celsius temperature last month.

Some experts believe that the national holiday has been declared due to a shortage of electricity and the consequent outages in several parts of the country. The electricity crisis has resulted due to mismanagement and the consequent shortage of water. The government has denied any connection between the national holiday and the shortage of electricity.

President Ebrahim Raisi is facing severe criticism due to a shortage of electricity. The earlier government of President Hassan Rouhani was severely lambasted for his failure to manage