Heatwaves were the most disruptive climate event, with Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia experiencing widespread school closures and reduced schooling hours, UNICEF said in a report released on Friday.

Afghanistan was among a number of countries to face multiple climate hazards, with the country facing heatwaves as well as severe flash floods that damaged or destroyed more than 110 schools in May, UNICEF said.

Global temperatures hit an all-time high in 2024, with the Earth’s average surface temperature rising 1.55 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

In total, 85 countries experienced climate-related school disruptions, including 20 countries that saw disruptions nationwide, according to UNICEF.

Of the nearly 250 million students affected, 74 percent were in middle and low-income countries, Al Jazeera reported.

South Asia was the worst-affected region, with about 128 million students facing climate-related upheaval, followed by East Asia and the Pacific, according to UNICEF.