Kushtia registers lowest 8.5°C temperature, shuts schools

The authorities have announced a closure for all primary and secondary schools in Kushtia today as the district recorded the season’s lowest temperature of 8.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning.

The district administration made the announcement through its official Facebook handle around 7:00 am. Later, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ehtesham Reza confirmed the decision to Prothom Alo.

According to the Kumarkhali Agromet Observatory in Kushtia, the minimum temperature of the day hit a chilling 8.5 degrees Celsius in Kushtia at 6:00 am on Sunday. It is the lowest temperature recorded in the district this season.

Earlier, a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius was recorded at 6 am on 23 January.

Harun-Ar-Rashid, an official at the agromet observatory, said the temperatures may remain below 10 degrees Celsius on Monday and may rise slightly on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the sudden announcement of school closures created confusion among the guardians. Some of them said they were preparing their children for the regular classes as they could not confirm the announcement on the social media.

The parents also questioned the method of announcement, saying, “How many people use social media? All do not have smartphones either. How will they learn (about the closure?)”.

Sharing his dilemma, a guardian, Omar Faruk, told Prothom Alo, “Brother, I came to know that the teachers are not aware of it. My two little children are getting ready for school, what can I say now?"

Contacted a number of schools in the district around 8:00 am, they said they were yet to confirm the decision officially. However, some schools were seen to have shared the closure notice on their Facebook pages.