Soaring temperatures across Nepal’s Tarai-Madhesh region are forcing school closures and impacting daily life as heat waves intensify, leading to health risks and economic disruption.
Several municipalities in Nepal’s Tarai-Madhesh region, including Dhangadhi, Tikapur, and Lamkichuha in Kailali district, have announced school closures due to extreme heat. Dhangadhi sub-metropolitan city declared a week-long holiday beginning Thursday, as temperatures soared past 44 degrees Celsius. Other schools, including Kailali Multiple Campus and those in Joshipur Rural Municipality, have suspended classes until June 15 after incidents of children fainting in morning assemblies. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, Dhangadhi’s temperature, which reached 44 degrees on Friday, has hit the highest levels in 28 years.
In Bardiya district, Gulariya Municipality extended its school closures for six days as students began to fall ill from the extreme heat, particularly during assemblies and classes. Satish Yadav, head of Gulariya’s education unit, confirmed that the municipal office may keep schools closed until June 7 if temperatures remain high. Residents like Hariram Lodh, a local grandfather, reported that his granddaughter collapsed during class and needed medical care due to heat exposure. Local porters in Gulariya are also struggling, with over 300 unable to work in the extreme conditions, resulting in economic setbacks.
Similarly, Bhimdatta Municipality in Kanchanpur has suspended school activities until June 5, while continuing an essential poliovirus vaccination drive hosted at schools. Local authorities have advised running classes only in the early morning to reduce exposure to peak daytime temperatures, which remain dangerously high from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. As heat waves persist, West Tarai residents are adapting to these unprecedented conditions, but concerns about health and income loss remain high.