Warning about the possibility of flooding and river overflows in 18 locations in Iran

Many parts of Iran, including the capital, are still facing the risk of flooding. Tehran police have ordered the closure of business units in the north of the capital. The Sa'adabad complex and the Darband and Darakeh restaurants have also been closed due to the possibility of flooding.

Meteorologist Amin Hossein Naghshineh announced on Tuesday, March 26, that rivers are likely to overflow and flood 18 locations in Iran. He told IRNA: “Due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, flooding is expected in the provinces of Khuzestan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Kohkiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Bushehr, Fars and Isfahan.”

This meteorologist emphasized: "There is also a possibility of rivers overflowing today and flooding in western Yazd province, western Kerman, Qom, Semnan, North Khorasan, northern Khorasan Razavi, Qazvin, Alborz, and Tehran."

Heavy rain and flooding in recent days have caused heavy casualties and damage in various regions of Iran. In Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province, 19 people lost their lives and more than 110 were injured in the flooding.

In another part of his speech today, Amin Hossein Naghshineh stated that "snow and rain are also predicted in the Zagros and Alborz highlands," and urged Nowruz travelers to pay attention to weather warnings and observe safety regulations, and to "absolutely avoid stopping on the banks and riverbeds of rivers and flood-prone areas."

The meteorologist added: "Today, the intensity of precipitation will be concentrated in the slopes of the central and southern Zagros, parts of the south-central, northeastern, and eastern Alborz."

Referring to "heavy snowfall" in Malayer, Shazand, and Khansar and "increased intensity of rainfall" in Yasuj and Semirom, Naqshineh said: "This precipitation system could be in the form of hail in some areas prone to precipitation, and in the cold and high-altitude areas of Zagros and Alborz, it could be in the form of snow."

The weather expert noted: "Tomorrow, this precipitation system will weaken and pass through the western and central regions, but we will have precipitation in the eastern, northeastern, and southeastern parts, and the precipitation will be scattered on the western heights of the Alborz, and we expect heavy rains, sometimes accompanied by strong winds, in the next two days."

He stated: "Today, fog and disruption to traffic on mountain roads and snowfall are expected in the highlands of Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, eastern Kohkiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, and southern and western Isfahan, Alborz, Tehran, Mazandaran, Semnan, Golestan and North Khorasan."

Tomorrow night; the next wave of precipitation will arrive in the country.

Amin Hossein Naghshineh added: "This situation could occur with less intensity in the northwest, but today the Persian Gulf, the Sea of ​​Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz will be wavy and stormy, and the Caspian Sea will be wavy today, and we will have strong winds for the southwest and southeast of the country today."

This weather expert stated that strong winds could cause dust in the southeast and east of the country today and tomorrow. Regarding the capital of Iran, he also said: "For Tehran today, rainy weather is expected, sometimes accompanied by showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, and for tomorrow, scattered rain and sometimes strong winds are expected."

Finally, Naqshineh stated that "the next wave of precipitation will affect the northwest and west tomorrow night," adding: "This wave could bring rain and snow on Thursday in the west, northwest, Alborz slopes, and northeast."

48-hour closure of trade unions in northern Tehran

Along with warnings and predictions of possible flooding, including in the Iranian capital, the Greater Tehran Police also announced a 48-hour closure order for business units in northern Tehran. Colonel Taghi Afrand, deputy head of the Greater Tehran Public Security Police, said: “We have notified business units in northern Tehran to close for 48 hours.”

According to Mehr, the law enforcement official added: “The operators of the trade units located in Darband, Darakeh, Fasham, Lavasan, Farahzad, Kan, and Sulqan were notified for 48 hours to close their trade units due to the prevailing weather conditions in the country and the possibility of flooding and inundation in the aforementioned areas, and in order to protect their lives and property and that of the respected citizens.” According to him: “The operators of the trade units located in these areas have also been notified to refrain from providing any services to customers.”

Closure of Saadabad Complex and Darband and Darakeh Restaurants

After the announcement of a state of alert in some Iranian provinces, including Khuzestan, Lorestan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Kohkiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, and Ilam, yesterday, Tehran was also put on alert today. Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri had also said earlier: "We must protect Tehran with all our might tonight."

According to ISNA, Siavash Shahrivar, the governor of Shemiranat, announced on Monday evening, referring to the governorate's "readiness", saying: "The entire logistics of the Tajrish city area and the sectors are on alert; we hope there will be no flooding, but considering the history of previous floods, we are fully prepared in terms of facilities, manpower, and support, and we have evacuated all high-risk areas of Shemiranat."

At a meeting of the Tehran Province Crisis Management Headquarters, which was held with the presence of the First Vice President of Iran, the Governor of Shemiranat said, referring to the measures taken in Shemiranat County to prevent and deal with possible flooding in the county: "Since Monday morning, we have given the necessary warnings to all citizens of the Tajrish city area and the districts, and we have closed and evacuated all restaurants, and ordered that these places be closed until tomorrow night."

Siavash Shahrivar stated that "the Saadabad Palace Museum and all places where flooding may occur will be closed tomorrow," adding: "We have also closed all restaurants in the Darband and Darakeh districts so that there is no human gathering or depot in these places."

The “semi-critical” condition of Iran’s roads

Meanwhile, Nader Rahmani, head of the Traffic Police Information and Control Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran's National Police Force, described the situation on Iranian roads as "semi-critical" and said that Tuesday is "not a good day to travel."

Colonel Nader Rahmani announced: "Currently, we are witnessing snowfall in most of the axes of Ardabil province, and we also have snow in some axes of East Azerbaijan, Tamarchin, West Azerbaijan, Malayer-Arak, Hamedan, Asalem-Khalkhal, Gilan, Baran-Ali Godarz, and Meimeh-Delijan, Isfahan."

The head of the Traffic Information and Control Center of the Naja Road Police also added: "Rain is observed in most of the axes of West Azerbaijan, Semnan, Hamedan, Markazi, Lorestan, Bushehr, Khorasan Razavi, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Fars, Gilan, Isfahan, Mazandaran, North Khorasan, Golestan, Ilam, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Kerman and Yazd."

Colonel Rahmani, noting that “there is fog today with reduced visibility in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Hamedan, Zanjan, Kurdistan, and Isfahan,” said: “Today is not a good day for travel. Environmental conditions must return to a more normal state to allow travel. The condition of the roads today is semi-critical.”

Request for dismissal of the Minister of Interior

The human toll and heavy financial losses caused by flooding and river overflows in many parts of Iran have once again brought criticism of the management of such natural disasters. Some have targeted Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli.

According to Entekhab, Hojjatoleslam Nasser Qavami, the head of the Qazvin Provincial Reformist Council, wrote in an open letter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in response to the “weak management of the Ministry of Interior and some governorates in the recent flood incident in several provinces of the country,” including: “The weak management and lack of foresight of the numerous natural disasters that occurred in the country during this minister’s tenure, each of which alone required him to resign from his position, and if he did not resign, Your Excellency should have dismissed him, which unfortunately has not been considered so far.”

In his letter to Rouhani, Nasser Qavami emphasized that Rahmani Fazli is “not a suitable person to head a large ministry like the Ministry of Interior,” and that “today, the honorable people of the northern and western provinces of the country, as well as the city of Shiraz, must bear the heavy cost of the incompetence of the minister and the governors appointed by him.”

This sixth-generation member of parliament, whose qualifications were rejected by the Guardian Council in the seventh, eighth, and tenth terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, finally wrote to Hassan Rouhani: "Mr. President, how long will the people's demands and demands be ignored?"

It was also announced today that the seasonal river "Jabal" in the city of Gohpayeh, located east of Isfahan, has overflowed following heavy rain. According to the Young Journalists Club, local officials also said that "given the weather forecasts and the possibility of continued rainfall until the end of today, unfortunately, the possibility of the Jabal Dam breaking seems certain."

The governorate of Izeh, a city in Khuzestan Province, has also announced that due to the forecast of heavy rain in the city on Tuesday, all government offices, institutions, and organizations in Izeh have been closed.

The Iranian Meteorological Organization issued a warning yesterday about heavy rainfall, the possibility of river flooding, and flooding on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of Farvardin in various regions of the country.

Source: DW