Temperatures in and around the Iranian capital of Tehran have been so high and water shortages so severe that government officials declared a holiday in the province to conserve electricity and water, The Guardian reported.

One man in his late 50s told The Guardian that the heat was so oppressive he felt unable to be in direct sunlight.

"I feel the skin is going to burn," he said. "[My] shirt gets wet so quickly." 

What's happening?

Tehran and surrounding areas have been facing a devastating combination of triple-digit heat and ongoing drought. While temperatures in the city reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat in nearby regions soared to above 120 degrees, Al Jazeera reported.

The southwestern city of Shabankareh recently experienced what might have been the hottest temperature recorded this year, a brain-melting 127 F, according to The Guardian.

The scorching conditions come on top of a half-decade of drought that has left water supplies dangerously low, leading to water shutoffs in some areas.

"I have heard from people that cutting water supply has resulted in water outages lasting at least 12 hours and more," the man, who said water was not scarce where he lives, told The Guardian.

The conditions have led officials to call for reductions in water use and energy consumption, per Al Jazeera.

Residents have responded by voicing concerns.

"We have nine-hour load-shedding daily as the temperature has soared across Iran including my hometown," a 35-year-old told The Guardian, referring to the practice of deliberately cutting off power to certain areas to prevent wide-scale outages.

Should the government be allowed to restrict how much water we use? Definitely 💯 Only during major droughts 🏜️ No way 🙅 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Why have there been so many heat waves recently?

While it is not possible to directly tie any one severe weather event to human causes, for decades scientists have warned that releasing heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere, largely through the burning of fossil fuels, would cause global temperatures to rise.

They also projected that the magnitude of severe weather events, including heat waves, would increase, making them more devastating to both lives and livelihoods.

Those projections are now coming to fruition, with 2024 recognized as the hottest year on record, having surpassed 2023, which, at the time, was also the hottest year on record, according to the NOAA.

This heat costs lives. In the United States alone, 2,300 people died from heat-related causes in 2023, more than double the figure from 1999, according to a study published by JAMA.

Worldwide, the figures have been even more devastating. Nearly 500,000 people died every year from heat-related causes from 1999 to 2019, according to the World Health Organization.

Older people, who are physically more vulnerable to heat, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged, who may not be able to afford things such as air conditioning, are disproportionately impacted by rising temperatures, per the WHO.

What's being done about heat waves?

To reverse the trend of rising global temperatures, it is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of planet-warming pollution entering the atmosphere.

Regardless of which policies government officials choose to pursue, there are many things that can be done individually to make a difference, especially when those actions are multiplied by millions of people.

Riding a bicycle, taking public transit, driving an electric vehicle, and installing solar panels on your home all are great ways to reduce the amount of pollution your household generates.

Installing solar in particular is a great way to maximize the environmental benefits of driving an EV, as you can charge your vehicle for less than it would cost via the grid or at a public charging station.

Furthermore, pairing solar panels with a home battery system will make your home more resilient in the event of a power outage.

EnergySage offers free tools that make it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and take maximum advantage of available incentives, saving customers up to $10,000.

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