All schools have been ordered to close in South Sudan, as it prepares for a heatwave in which temperatures could reach an exceptional 45°C.
Authorities said children should stay indoors and that the extreme weather could last for at least two weeks.
Deaths “related to excessive heat” have already been reported, officials said.
Residents in parts of the capital Juba sweltered without electric fans yesterday as the heat sparked power cuts. The streets of Juba, home to over 400,000 people, were largely quiet in the afternoon as local media reported temperatures of 41°C.
It is exceptionally early for South Sudan to experience such heat – temperatures often exceed 43°C but only in the summer months, according to the World Bank’s Climate Change portal.
Children in uniform could be seen walking back to their homes, having been turned away from school yesterday.
The ministries of education, health and environment said that all schools would be closed due to the “serious health hazards” posed to students.
The ministries’ statement did not say when schools would open again, but after a briefing with authorities yesterday, two teachers told the BBC that their classes would resume on April 3.