Iran’s Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri has announced that heavy rains are expected in the capital and “tonight we must protect Tehran with all our existence”.

At a meeting of Emergency Management Staff in the evening of March 25, Jahangiri said that weather forecast services have predicted strong rain in Tehran and he added it is better to prepare for the worst.

The vice president warned that if floods hit the capital, “the depth of the tragedy will be serious”. But he expressed hope that with preparedness damage can be controlled to the minimal.

Iran has been hit with consecutive weather fronts bringing heavy rains in the last one week, with disaster hitting provinces in the north, west and in the south. Floods have so far killed more than 30 people in the country.

Just on Monday 18 people perished in a sudden rush of water into the ancient city of Shiraz, sweeping away hundreds of cars on the roads.

Restaurants and many other public buildings have been shut down in the hilly northern suburbs of Tehran, where chance of flash floods is much higher.