"It's So Hot, Let's Take Two Days Off" This Country Declares a Holiday Amid 51-Degree Heatwave

Iran Government "To Protect Public Health from Heatwave"

Due to a heatwave with temperatures fluctuating around 50 degrees Celsius, the Iranian government declared a temporary public holiday for two days.

On the 1st (local time), Bahadori Zahromias, spokesperson for the Iranian government, told the state-run IRNA news agency, "The ministers agreed to the Ministry of Health's proposal to designate the 2nd and 3rd as holidays to protect public health from the heatwave."

A girl is enjoying playing in the fountain in Tehran, Iran. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

This decision to declare a public holiday is due to an unprecedented heatwave. The Iranian Meteorological Organization forecasted that the daytime high temperatures in southwestern regions such as Abaz would approach 50 degrees Celsius, and other areas would exceed 40 degrees Celsius. In particular, in Ahvaz in the south this week, the mercury soared to 51 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, in the southwestern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, more than 1,000 patients were hospitalized due to the heatwave, and a water shortage crisis compounded the situation, leading residents to hold protest demonstrations. Pedram Pakain, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, expressed concern that the number of heat-related illness cases has recently increased to an alarming level.

The Ministry of Health has advised avoiding outdoor activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., warning that prolonged exposure to the heatwave could cause heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.

Earlier, in Iran last month, the apparent temperature exceeded 66 degrees Celsius, leading to evaluations that it was a "temperature at which humans and other living beings cannot survive." According to the New York Times (NYT), the Persian Gulf International Airport located on the southwestern coast of Iran recorded an apparent temperature of 66.7 degrees Celsius around 12:30 p.m. on the 16th of last month.

On the 1st (local time), a man is drinking water on a street in Tehran, Iran. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, as heatwaves and heavy rains continue worldwide, United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres warned that the era of "Global Boiling" has arrived.

On the 27th of last month at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, he declared, "The era of global warming has ended, and the era of global boiling has begun." He added, "Climate change is currently underway, but this is only the beginning," and urged member states for immediate action on the climate crisis, stating, "If we achieve the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees Celsius, there is still a chance to avoid the worst scenarios."

Heatwaves, unlike storms or heavy rains, do not cause visibly dramatic damage but have fatal effects on life, earning the nickname "silent killer." They cause various life-threatening heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, fainting, convulsions, and exhaustion, making them a serious public health threat. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) also classifies heatwaves as one of the most dangerous natural disasters.