Authorities in South Sudan on Saturday ordered for closure of schools countrywide starting this week as temperatures were set to soar to an exceptional 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
According to a joint statement from ministers of education, health and environment, the schools will close from March 18 (Monday) due to the “serious health hazards” posed to students.
“High temperatures of 41C-45C are expected this week,” Health minister Yolanda Awel Deng said in a statement, adding that the heatwave was expected to last “at least two weeks”.
“There are already cases of death related to excessive heat being reported,” they added, without giving further details.
“Parents are advised to stop their children from playing outdoors,” the statement added, saying young children in particular, should be monitored for signs of heat exhaustion.
The state authorities were also directed to enforce the directive and any school that will be found open during this time will have it’s registration withdrawn.
During this period, the authorities will continue to monitor the situation and inform the public accordingly.
Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in the East African country, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change, but temperatures rarely exceed 40C.
Episodes of drought and increasingly extreme rainfall are adding to already difficult living conditions in South Sudan, which has been plagued by violence and economic instability since it declared independence from Sudan in 2011.