Things Heat Up in Iran: Heat Index Tops 160 Degrees

With its international negotiations regarding nuclear power behind it, Iran now faces a more immediate challenge, suffocating heat. A high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit is not unheard of in this part of the world, but mix in ninety-percent humidity and on July 31, 2015 the Iranian college town of Bandar Mahshahr found itself battling a heat index of 165 degrees. The local humidity emanates from the adjacent Persian Gulf. Winds blowing across the gulf’s ninety-degree plus waters produce some of the most oppressive humidity in the world. Think New Orleans on steroids.

Iran is not alone in its misery. A heat dome has engulfed the Middle East resulting in a temperature of 122 degrees in Baghdad on Thursday (July 30th). Thanks to the drier desert air in that region, however, Baghdad only reached a heat index of a balmy 115 degrees. Even so, that was hot enough for the local government to order a mandatory four-day holiday so that people could stay home. This holiday may provide little relief to residents who are faced with frequent power and water disruptions.

The current heat wave in the Middle East makes that which recently plagued Europe seem tame by comparison. While Iran is coming closer and closer to breaking the world record, this is one record no one wants to break.