TEHRAN – Forecasts show that precipitations will be more than normal in the country by the end of the current calendar month (April 19), according to the National Atmospheric Science and Meteorological Research Center.

The temperature in the aforesaid period is forecast to be more than normal in the northwest, less than normal in the center, east, and south, and normal in other parts of the country, ISNA quoted Mehdi Rahnama, the director of the center, as saying.

From March 25 to 31, rainfall in northern provinces will be normal and in other regions will be more than normal, he added.

From April 1 to 7, precipitation will be within normal range across the country, he noted.

In the past year that ended on March 19, the amount of rainfall in the country decreased by 26 and 16 percent, respectively, compared to the long-term average, and the previous water year.

Since the beginning of autumn which is the start of the current water year, an average of 118 mm of rain has been recorded nationwide, Ahad Vazifeh, head of the national center for drought and crisis management, said on March 11.

The long-term average recorded last year was equal to 141 mm.

Fars, Hormozgan, Kerman, Semnan, Khorasan Razavi, Qazvin, Alborz, Tehran, Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh–Boyerahmad provinces have had low rainfall.

Kerman, Qazvin, Tehran, and Alborz provinces have received 50, 39, 33, and 34 percent less rainfall than the long-term average.

Mazandaran, Golestan, Kuodestan, and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces have recorded more rainfall compared to the long-term average.

Vazifeh went on to say that the average temperature of the country has been 13.3 °C since the beginning of fall, September 23, which compared to the three-year period figure,11.3 °C, shows the temperature has increased by 2 °C over time.

Since the beginning of winter, the temperature has been 9.1 degrees, while it had been 7.1 degrees in long-term average. The last two months of the fall this year were the hottest months on record in the past 50 years, Vazifeh added.

MG