On Tuesday, the government of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, announced postponing schools reopening this week due to an intense heatwave, with temperatures reaching as high as 40°C.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Education confirmed that following a ruling by the State Court of Justice, over 2300 schools with 700,000 students in the state will remain closed.
The decision followed a request from the local teachers' union, which had asked for the school reopening, originally set for this week, to be postponed until February 17 due to the extreme heat.
Teachers raised concerns about inadequate ventilation and insufficient water supply in schools, which would put students' and staff members' health at risk during the heatwave.
The teachers' union celebrated the ruling as a "fundamental victory for the safety and well-being of the entire school community," warning of a "worrying scenario" in schools lacking infrastructure to cope with high temperatures.
The state meteorological agency (INMET) has issued a red alert for extreme heat in the inland areas of Rio Grande do Sul and an orange alert for the coast. In some regions of the state, temperatures have already hit 40°C.
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