Iran floods: At least 21 killed in southern Fars province

Flash flooding has killed at least 21 people in Iran's southern Fars province.

The city of Estahban was hardest hit with heavy rain swelling the Roudbal river, governor Yousef Kargar said.

Floods in Iran have been worsened by droughts, because rain water is unable to permeate through the sun-baked earth.

Mr Kargar said several people visiting the riverside were caught by rising water levels.

At least 55 people were rescued, head of Fars' crisis management department Khalil Abdollahi told Reuters.

Iran is a largely arid country and has endured several droughts over the past decade, which have made the soil harder and more solid. This phenomenon is mainly due to climate change.

Not all droughts are due to climate change, but excess heat in the atmosphere is drawing more moisture out of the earth and making droughts worse.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

In 2019, several towns and villages in Iran had to be evacuated by heavy rainfall, which lasted three weeks and left much of the country submerged. At least 76 people died.

Sun-baked earth is unable to absorb sudden bursts of heavy rainfall