Iranian heatwave prompts fears of hospital overcrowding

Tehran, Aug. 4, (dpa/GNA) - Iranian hospitals are preparing for a large number of patients ahead of the scorching temperatures forecast this week. 

A representative from the Ministry of Health urged the population to avoid the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday. 

According to the report, hospitals have seen an increase in patients with heatstroke. 

The Iranian government already closed government offices, schools, and banks for two days this week, due to the heatwave. 

The extended weekend – Fridays are a day off in Iran – prompted around 2 million residents to take trips to the popular north near the Caspian Sea, according to newspaper Shargh. Photos showed congested roads on the route through the Alborz Mountains. 

Iran, with its nearly 90 million inhabitants and an area more than four times the size of Germany, has vast regions dominated by deserts. 

Researchers have been warning for years about an increase in droughts in the region, which is particularly affected by the consequences of climate change. 

Temperatures in the south of the country climbed above 50 degrees Celsius this week. 

GNA