TEHRAN – From the beginning of the current water year (September 23, 2022) to May 5, precipitations in the country amounted to 188.1 millimeters, an increase of 6 percent year on year, while still 15 percent below the long-term average.

Among the provinces of the country, the western Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad has received 780.9 mm of rain compared to 560.8 mm of rain last year, with a growth of 39 percent, and was the rainiest province in the country.

The southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province also received 59.6 mm of rain in the mentioned period compared to 63.9 mm of rain last year with a decrease of 7 percent.

Iran has a dry and semi-arid climate and has an annual rainfall of 250 mm, which is about one-third of the global average.

The average rainfall of the country has been decreasing over time so the average rainfall of the country for 53 years was about 250 mm, but the average of the last 13 years has decreased to 232 mm.

Over the previous water year which began on September 23, 2021, the rainfall decreased by about 24 percent compared to the long-term average, which marked another year of low rainfall for Iran.

As the newly extracted statistics show, a total of 180.4 mm of rain has poured in the country over the past water year, which shows a decline of 23.9 mm compared to the long-term average of 237.1 mm.

The last water year marked the year of low rainfall for the country, causing the continuation of dry years.

The summer season shows an increase of 19.7 mm in rainfall, which is accompanied by a growth of 71.3 mm compared to the long-term period when the amount of rainfall was 11.5 mm.

The national center for drought and crisis management has forecasted the summer this year will be warmer than normal in the country.

In the northern and eastern provinces of the country, the rainfall is insufficient, and even the relatively normal rainfall of the remaining days of the current water year cannot compensate for the lack of rainfall, ISNA quoted Ahad Vazifeh, the head of the center, as saying.

The month of Ordibehesht (April 21-May 21) is the most important period in the spring season to receive rainfall in the country and is very important, he stressed.

“For example, in the month of Farvardin (March 21-April 20), usually 35 millimeters of rain is recorded in the country, but in Ordibehesht, the rainfall amounts to about 20 mm. So, the rainfall in Ordibehesht is almost twice as much as in Farvardin.”

“Since the beginning of Farvardin, we have had an average of 25 mm of rain, while during this time period, we should have normally received 38 mm of rain in the long term,” he said.

Therefore, about 33 percent of rainfall has decreased compared to the long term, Vazifeh noted.

MG