Iran’s Energy Ministry has warned that most parts of the country will face anomalously high precipitation rates in the coming fall and winter.

A spokesman of the Ministry’s water resources department said on Monday that this year’s fall and winter will be wetter than normal because of a strong climate phenomenon El Nino which could deliver sizable rainfall to many provinces in Iran.

Firouz Ghassemzadeh said that except for several provinces in south, southeast and center of Iran which are expected to experience normal precipitation rates, other areas in the country will see a major increase in rainfall this year.

Ghassemzadeh said floods could inflict damage to areas in Iran where there is not enough reservoir capacity to control the heavy rainfall.

He said warm temperatures caused by El Nino could cause speedier melting of snow in late winter months and lead to floods in various parts of Iran.

The official said the Energy Ministry has identified some 8,000 spots across the country that would be prone to risks of floods this year.

“Measures should be adopted in urban, agricultural, industrial and transportation sectors to minimize the damage,” said the official.

El Nino is a natural phenomenon that has caused many parts of the world to experience high temperatures in recent years. It can also lead to increased rainfall in parts of the Americas, Asia and elsewhere because of its impacts on tropical cyclones in the Pacific.

Experts believe many parts of the world are bracing for El Nino this year after experiencing three years of the cooler La Nina pattern.

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