Heat Triggers Water Shortage in Iran as Temperature Soars Above 50°C

Updated By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 2045 EAT on Sunday 20 July 2025

Iranian Authorities Urge Water Conservation Amid Extreme Heatwave

Iranian officials have called on the public to reduce water consumption as the country faces critical shortages during a prolonged heatwave.

According to the national meteorological service, Iran is enduring its hottest week of the year, with temperatures soaring above 50°C (122°F) in several regions.

Tehran Declares Public Holiday as Heatwave Intensifies

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani announced on Sunday via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Tehran province will observe a public holiday on Wednesday due to the ongoing heatwave.

“In light of the continued extreme heat and the necessity of conserving water and electricity, Wednesday … has been declared a holiday in Tehran province,” she stated.

Meteorological reports indicated that temperatures in Tehran reached 40°C (104°F) on Sunday, with forecasts predicting a further rise to 41°C (106°F) on Monday.

Climate Change Deepens Iran’s Water Crisis

Water scarcity remains a persistent challenge in Iran, especially in the arid southern provinces. Experts and officials attribute the crisis to a combination of factors, including long-standing mismanagement, overexploitation of underground aquifers, and the escalating effects of climate change.

As temperatures climb and supplies dwindle, Tehran City Council Chair Mehdi Chamran urged residents to “conserve water to avoid drops in supplies,” according to the ISNA news agency.

Similar appeals have been issued by authorities across the country in recent days, with residents in multiple provinces asked to reduce water consumption to ease pressure on strained infrastructure.

Reservoirs at Historic Lows Amid Ongoing Drought

Tehran’s provincial water management company has called on residents to cut water usage by “at least 20 percent” to help alleviate the worsening shortages.

In a statement, the company warned that “the reservoirs of the dams supplying water to Tehran are currently at their lowest level in a century,” following years of declining rainfall and prolonged drought conditions.

Water Outages Hit Parts of Tehran as Crisis Deepens

The conservative daily Javan reported on Saturday that authorities have begun reducing water supplies in parts of Tehran in an effort to manage the worsening crisis. Some areas of the capital have experienced outages lasting between 12 and 18 hours.

Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi issued a public apology on Sunday for the disruptions, stating that the measures were necessary “to better manage resources” amid the ongoing shortages.

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