Bangladeshi schools closed due to severe heat wave

The authorities in Bangladesh closed schools to 33 million children, in light of a heat wave that was the most severe in three decades.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education announced that most educational institutions will remain closed until April 27.

This is the second year in a row that Bangladesh has been forced to close schools to protect children from the extreme heat.

Average maximum temperatures in the capital Dhaka over the past week were 4 to 5 degrees Celsius higher than the 30-year average for the same period, according to the Meteorological Department.

The highest temperature was recorded at 42.2 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga district over the past weekend, while the temperature in Dhaka reached 40.4 degrees Celsius.

At least nine people, including a police officer, died from heatstroke, prompting Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen to order hospitals to prepare for emergencies.