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Hot spell forces school to close in Malaysia

Xinhua, March 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Malaysian government decided on Monday to close schools temporarily in part of the country due to persistent hot weather caused by the strong El Nino phenomenon this year.

Schools in the norther Kedah and Perlis state would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the state news agency Bernama. The two states had recorded temperatures as high as 39.2°C degrees Celsius.

The report quoted Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid as saying that the decision was made on the advice of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and Health Ministry following rising temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said earlier that schools in a certain area would be closed if the temperature rose above 37 degrees Celsius for more than 72 hours.

The strong El Nino phenomenon this year has caused a hot and dry weather in Malaysia and the meteorological department has forecasted the condition to continue until May or June. Endit