59-year freeze-out hits Hong Kong, schools closed

Allkindergartens,primaryschoolsandspecialschoolsaresuspendedtodayamidthebigfreeze,withabout510,000childrengivenanunprecedentedcold-dayleave.

Temperaturesareexpectedtodropevenlowertoday.(Citizens at Victoria Bay. Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

Thiscomesassub-zerotemperatureswererecordedatTaiMoShanyesterday,withfirefightersscramblingtorescuedozenstrappedatthecity'shighestpoint,aswellasonKowloonPeakandLantauPeak.

"Astheabnormalweatherisexpectedtocontinue,classesofkindergartens,schoolsforchildrenwithphysicaldisability,schoolsforchildrenwithintellectualdisabilityandprimaryschoolswillbesuspendedtomorrow,"theEducationBureausaidlastnight.

"Theseschools,however,shouldkeeptheirpremisesopenandimplementcontingencymeasurestolookafterstudentswhoneedtoreturntoschool."

Itadded:"Asregardssecondaryschools,theEducationBureaucallsonparentstoprepareenoughwarmclothesforstudents.

"Schoolsarerequiredtopayattentiontothephysicalconditionoftheirstudentsandtoconsidersuspendingoutdooractivitiesinordertosafeguardthehealthofstudents."

Specialschoolswithsecondarystudentshavenotsuspendedclasses.

Thereare1,549kindergartensandprimaryschools,includingEnglishSchoolsFoundationandinternationalschools,and61specialschools.

ButdirectlysubsidizedGoodHopeSchoolatClearWaterBayRoadannouncedallitsprimaryandsecondarysectionswillbesuspendedtoday.

TheobservatorysaidlastnightthattherainbandaffectingthecoastofGuangdongisweakeningbuttemperaturesonhighgroundremainbelowzerodegreeswiththechanceoficeandfreezingrain.Therewillbeafewrainpatcheswithsmallicepelletsinsomeareas.

Temperaturestodaywillrangefrom3to9degreesCelsius.

LowsuntilWednesdaywillbe7to11CbeforerisingonThursday,whentemperatureswillrangefrom15to17C.

(Tai Mo Shan Country Park,tyres were frozen. Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

TheformerheadoftheEducationandManpowerBureaufrom1995to2000,JosephWongWing-ping,believeditwasthefirsttimetheEducationBureauhadsuspendedclassesbecauseoflowtemperatures.

TheclasssuspensionwasmadeaftertheHongKongProfessionalTeachers'Unionyesterdaycalledforasuspensionofclassesduetothecoldandwetweather.ButeducationlawmakerIpKin-yuensaidhedidnotunderstandwhythebureauwasnotsuspendingallspecialschools,suchasschoolsforchildrenwithvisualandhearingimpairment.

(Victoria Peak Garden, a fountain was frozen. Photo by Xinhua News Agency.)

ThevicechairmanoftheHongKongAidedPrimarySchoolHeads'Association,SinKim-wai,saidthedecisioncouldsafeguardprimarystudentsassomeofthemneedtotakeschoolbusesandtheroadsareslippery,whichmayendangertheirsafety.

FederationofParent-TeacherAssociationsofHongKongEasternDistrictchairmanRaymondJaoMingsaiditwasareasonableandunderstandabledecisionashehadheardsomeoutdooractivitieshadalreadycancelledduetobadweather.