Cold weather, energy shortages extend closure of schools, offices in Iran

Officials from the National Center for Climate and Drought Crisis Management stated that the ongoing cold wave and snowfall have necessitated the closures.

The affected provinces are mostly in the northern half of the country, including Tehran, West Azarbaijan, Golestan, Kermanshah, Semnan, Mazandaran, Qom, Ardabil, Kordestan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan, and two southern provinces of Fars and Hormozgan.

On Sunday, similar closures were implemented due to severe weather conditions and energy supply challenges.

Ahad Vazifeh, the head of the National Center for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, mentioned that the cold wave affecting the western regions would start to subside on Monday, while the eastern regions would see a decline in cold temperatures by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tehran’s Deputy Governor for Coordination of Civil Affairs, Mir Mohammad Gharavi, hinted the possibility of continued closures on Tuesday if air pollution levels exceed 150.

He emphasized the positive impact of the current closures on reducing fuel consumption and maintaining gas supply for residential areas.

The measures aim to manage energy consumption, prevent gas outages, and ensure public health amid the severe cold spell.