Araz News via trend: Most areas in Iran are grappling with heavy winds and dust, meteorologist Fariba Goudarzi said,Trend reported.

Tehran has been witnessing dust in the early hours of the night for a few days in row, she noted, Fars news agency reported June 15.

The meteorologist added that the provinces of West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardebil, as well as northern Hormozgan and southern Hormozgan will have three days with thunderstorm and showers in the afternoon and early evening.

The prevailing condition for most of the country right now is dust and wind, Goudarzi said, adding that the condition is predicted to stay over Tehran, Alborz, Qom, Qazvin, Semnan, Shiraz, East and South East of the country, Khorasan, North Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan for the next 24 hours.

She said dust storms are likely in Zabol – eastern Iran – as well as in western areas of the country.

Dust storms have increased in frequency in Iran in recent years.
A general drought, which has affected the country as well as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, is mentioned as the main cause.

The dust has caused many health problems across the country, sometimes sending hundreds to the hospital.

Head of the Iranian Environment Protection Organization Masoumeh Ebtekar said May 5 that Iranian people should learn to tolerate the dust storms, as no official can promise to remove the problem.