Iranian authorities have ordered public services in Tehran and several other provinces to close tomorrow due to a heat wave and increased energy consumption, state media reported today.

At least 15 of the country’s 31 provinces will have their services closed or on reduced hours to limit electricity and water consumption, according to the official Irna news agency.

Among the provinces affected are those of West Azerbaijan and Ardabil in the northwest, Khormozgan in the south and Alborz and Tehran in the north.

Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadegh Sadegh Motamendiyan clarified that the decision follows a request from the Energy Ministry “due to the rising temperatures and the need to consume water and electricity optimally,” according to public television.

The wave of heat waves that has hit Iran since mid-July has caused water and electricity shortages in much of the country, at a time when water levels in water reservoirs have fallen to unusually low levels.