Iranian authorities have closed government offices in 22 provinces, including Tehran, and reduced working hours in four others to manage water and electricity shortages during a record heatwave. The decision was made yesterday as temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius nationwide, nearing 50 degrees Celsius in some regions. It also followed an unprecedented drought, with precipitation declining by 40 per cent from the long-term average recorded in the same period of the previous water year. According to reports, dams now hold only 44 per cent of capacity, while southern provinces like Hormozgan and Fars face total depletion. Many residents across Tehran reported water outages lasting several hours in the past few days.