Heatwave Scorches Khuzestan Province 

Temperatures soared to over 50 degrees Celsius in the southwestern province of Khuzestan on Tuesday and Wednesday with multiple residents fainting due to heat exhaustion. 
“Over the past 24 hours, temperatures topped 51°C in eight sites throughout the province,” head of Khuzestan’s Meteorological Organization, Mohammad Sabzezari, was quoted as saying by IRNA. 
The highest temperature was recorded in Shush, located in northern Khuzestan, at 53.7 °C. 
The searing heat sent at least 21 locals to hospitals displaying symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion. 
None required hospitalization and were soon discharged, a senior official with the Ahvaz Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences, Habib Hai, said. 
Hai cautioned against strenuous physical activity in daylight and encouraged the public to stay hydrated and wear light-colored clothes over the next few days. 
He also advised residents to wear hats and consume vegetables and fruit to counter the effects of hot weather. 
Energy consumption has skyrocketed in the province due to the vast heatwave, with local authorities ordering offices to close at 12 p.m. to save electricity and keep air conditioners running in private residences.
The province’s Meteorological Organization had issued warnings over heat waves since Sunday and had placed the entire province on orange alert. 
The scorching heat experienced in Khuzestan is part of a global pattern of rising temperatures that has affected many areas around the world this summer, often accompanied by unstoppable wildfires that burn almost everything in their path. 
Many scientists believe that climate change brought about by human activity is the underlying reason for the unprecedented natural disasters occurring around the world.
In Iran, the country faced severe episodes of sandstorms over spring and summer. During the past month, flooding triggered by heavy rains wreaked havoc around the country. The government is cooperating with regional nations to find long-term solutions to environmental problems.