Iran is experiencing its hottest temperatures in 50 years, with the city of Ahvaz recording over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) for more than seven days, according to Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, the managing director of Iran's Power Generation and Transmission Company (Tavanir), Etemad reported on July 12.

The extreme heat is expected to spread to Tehran and northern parts of the country, raising concerns about power supply stability as brownouts and blackouts continue to ravage the country over the summer period.

"This is unprecedented in the last 50 years and is a very significant figure," Mashhadi told state news agency Tasnim.

The extreme heat has led to record-breaking electricity consumption across the country.

Mashhadi explained that for every one degree Celsius increase in temperature, about 1,800 megawatts are added to the national power consumption due to increased use of air conditioning and cooling systems.

According to meteorological reports, the period from July 6 to August 6 is typically marked by temperature anomalies. This year, temperatures have risen 3 to 5 degrees above normal in various regions.

For several years, Iran has been hit by an electricity deficit across the country. Demand management programmes across the industrial and administrative sectors and incentives for homes have kept the lights on and staved off total blackouts during the outgoing government's three-year term.

The nationwide weighted average temperature has reached 39.3 degrees Celsius, resulting in a new peak power consumption record of 77,514 MW - an increase of over 4,000 MW compared to previous levels.

To meet this growing demand, Mashhadi stated that Iran would need to construct about 6,000 MW of new power plant capacity.

He estimated that the power sector requires at least $5bn in annual investment for power plant development, grid expansion, and smart grid technologies to keep pace with the rising consumption.

On July 9, a prominent Iranian reformist accused authorities of deliberately depleting dam reservoirs to create electricity shortages for the incoming government in a statement that highlights ongoing political tensions in the country. J

avad Imam, spokesman for the Reformist Front, claimed on July 8 that water is being released from dams at an alarming rate, resulting in daily electricity production of 123,977 MWh whilst rapidly lowering reservoir levels despite record rains earlier this year.