Heavy Rainfall in Bushehr Province; Sinking of a Vessel and School Closures

Widespread rainfall in Bushehr province has led to the sinking of a vessel in the coastal waters of the province, the return of flights, flooding of streets, and the closure of schools. The IRNA news agency reported these developments on Wednesday (November 22) citing the head of the provincial crisis management headquarters, Qasem Qaedi. He stated that flooding and fallen trees on the streets, the return of Tehran-Bushehr flights to Tehran and Shiraz, and the sinking of a vessel in the coastal waters of Bushehr are consequences of heavy rain, hail, and wind on Tuesday night and early Wednesday. According to Qaedi, this weather system has a high capacity for precipitation, with over 30 to 40 millimeters of rainfall recorded in the counties of Bushehr, Ganaveh, Deylam, Kharg, and Bandar Rig by 6 AM on Wednesday. He also reported that the provincial crisis management headquarters is on alert due to the intensity and amount of rainfall in the province. The report indicated that due to flooding and fallen trees, the mayors of Bushehr, Ganaveh, Deylam, Bandar Rig, and Kharg announced the closure of schools in these areas for the morning of Wednesday, as well as the closure of medical and Islamic Azad University in Bushehr. This official noted that all communication routes in Bushehr province remain open and added that 'so far, only one report of a vessel sinking 15 nautical miles south of Bushehr has been received.' Qaedi mentioned the dispatch of rescue teams from the port and maritime administration and the Red Crescent to assist the sailors of this vessel. He did not comment on the potential number of injuries or casualties resulting from the heavy rainfall in the province. The return of two Tehran-Bushehr flights to Tehran due to adverse weather conditions in Bushehr and the landing of two flights destined for Bushehr at Shiraz airport were other updates provided by the head of the provincial crisis management headquarters. Another report from the managing director of the Bushehr Water and Wastewater Company indicated that the rainfall in the province has caused the Shapur River to overflow and muddy, leading to the shutdown of the Bushigan water treatment plant. According to Keykavad Yakideh, the Bushigan water treatment plant is responsible for supplying water along the 140-kilometer Kazeroon transfer line. He also added that there is currently no issue in supplying the necessary water to consumers given the existing reserves. IRNA also reported based on the meteorological organization that the counties of Dashtestan and Tangestan in Bushehr province will be affected by this weather system on Thursday. It is expected that this system will exit from the southern part of Bushehr province by the end of Thursday. Previously, the director general of the Bushehr meteorological organization had reported the activation of this weather system first in the southern counties of the province, including Assaluyeh, Kangan, Jam, and Dir, and then in all counties of the province. Nader Shafie Khodaei stated on Tuesday to IRNA that the winds from the east and southeast have also increased in Bushehr, causing the Persian Gulf to become choppy and turbulent, advising sailors to avoid unnecessary sea travel. Heavy rain is falling in Bushehr province while six days ago, the director general of the Bushehr meteorological organization had stated that based on the analysis of weather maps, a 10 to 20 percent decrease in autumn rainfall was predicted for this province. Shafie Khodaei added that these maps forecast a continuation of drought for a period of two to three years in this province. He called for avoiding isolated decision-making to preserve existing resources and prevent waste.