By Staff writer
Elevated heat stress levels are expected to persist in most parts of the country for the next seven days, according to the IGAD Climate and Prediction Centre (ICPAC) forecast.
The forecast indicates that high temperatures exceeding 32°C will continue to be experienced in most areas of South Sudan.
Similar high temperatures are expected in the eastern regions of Tanzania, southern Sudan, eastern Kenya, and southern Somalia.
For the consecutive year, South Sudan has experienced an extreme heatwave, forcing the government to close schools for two weeks.
This follows reports of more than 12 students collapsing daily in Juba city.
Minister of Environment and Forestry, Josephine Napwon Cosmos, cautioned public about the dangers of the heatwave, urging citizens to take the warnings seriously.
Minister Napwon said her ministry wrote to the president on the dangers posed by the heatwave.
“Juba and most parts of South Sudan are experiencing a heatwave, it is forecasted that it will last for at least two weeks and more,” she said. “Therefore it is critical to take proper safety measures during humid and hot periods.”
She stated that excessive heat is becoming a serious issue due to climate change, adding that high temperatures ranging from 39°C to 42°C are expected for the next two weeks or longer.
Schools are expected to resume in the second week of March instead of February based on the weather changes, she said.
Meanwhile, in the region, moderate to high temperatures ranging from 20°C to 32°C are anticipated across most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa.
In contrast, mild temperature conditions, below 20°C, are expected in certain areas of northern Sudan, the Ethiopian highlands, western Rwanda, and central to western Kenya.
Below-average rainfall is forecasted for most of Tanzania and eastern Burundi, while above-average rainfall is expected in western parts of Burundi and parts of Rwanda.