Dust storms close schools in Iran

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

The environmental problems in Iran create great difficulties for the country and significantly affect the daily life of people.

Today, strong dust storms in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz forced officials to call off the afternoon school sessions.

Ali Haddadi, Director of the Public Relations of the Ahvaz Governorate said the measure was taken after worries arose over possible health problems the dust might create for students, IRNA news agency reported.

He added that if the dust storms, which have grown in the western part of Iran in frequency and density in recent years, continue, a decision would be made as whether to keep the schools closed in the days to follow.

The city’s Meteorological Organization announced that the range of vision in the city was reduced to less than 600 meters as a result of the dust. It also stated that the density of dust reached 2, 335 micrograms per cubic meter.

The heavy dust storms have on occasions caused people serious respiratory problems, sometimes even forcing them to seek hospital care. The dust in the air is believed to be the result of dust being carried by atmospheric circulation from lands to the west of Iran.

Some have blamed the desertification of lagoons in Iraq and the strong winds from the deserts of Saudi Arabia for the blanket of dust reaching Iranian cities.