TEHRAN –Since the beginning of the current water year (September 23, 2023), the country has received 150.2 mm of rainfall representing a 20.7 percent decrease compared to the long-term average of 189.3 mm, according to Metrological Organization.

The amount of received rainfall last week, which ended on April 11, was equal to 7.7 mm. Compared to the long-term average of 6.2 mm, the amount of precipitation has surged by 24.5 percent.

Since the beginning of the current month, March 20 to April 11, the recorded rainfall was 26 mm, slightly below the long-term average of 27.8 mm, showing a 6.4 percent decline in the amount of received rainfall.

Some provinces including West Azarbaijan (12.9 percent), Ardabil  (2.9 percent), Khuzestan (2.4 percent), Kurdistan (4.6 percent), Kermanshah (8.8 percent), and Hamadan (9.1 percent), have recorded more rainfall than the long-term average.  

Tehran province is one of the provinces that has faced a significant decline in precipitation. While Tehran's long-term average rainfall stands at 207.4 mm, this year it has only received an average of 129.9 mm, which indicates a 37.3% decrease.

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, Ahad Vazifeh, head of the national center for drought and crisis management, said on March 11.

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.

MT/MG