Iran to close schools and offices due to air pollution caused by dust storm

A dust storm blew over Tehran, Iran on 2 June 2014. File photo / EPA

Schools, universities and offices will be closed in Tehran on Wednesday after another sandstorm blanketed parts of the Iranian capital and other cities, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Schools and government offices were also forced to close in the Iranian capital last week due to the bad weather conditions. This week's storm is the fourth severe sandstorm in Iran since mid-April.

Tehran is among the most polluted cities in the world. The country’s west, along the border with Iraq, has seen frequent closures of schools and offices due to dust and sandstorms.

In the region, flights and air traffic were also suspended at Kuwait International Airport following severe weather caused by a dust storm, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Monday.

Dust storms have also smothered Iraq, Saudi Arabia and parts of the UAE. Worsening weather conditions are also expected in the coming days.

Experts have blamed poor government policies, desertification and low water levels as well as climate change for the frequency and intensity of recent sandstorms.