Seberang perai utara: Four schools in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU), including a primary school, were damaged by a storm late yesterday evening.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Penang Education director Mohamad Dziauddin Mat Saad identified the affected schools as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Hashim Awang in Kepala Batas, along with SMK Gemilang and SMK Permatang Tok Jaya in Butterworth. The most severely impacted was SMK Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir, where the roof of a block containing five classrooms was torn off by the storm, resulting in structural damage to the building's first-floor section.

The other schools experienced minor damage affecting specific rooms, which will not disrupt teaching activities as repairs can be initiated soon. Mohamad Dziauddin emphasized the priority of student safety and expressed relief that the incident happened after school hours. Efforts will focus on clean-up activities over the next three days to ensure the safety of students returning to school on Monday.

Earlier, Mohamad Dziauddin, accompanied by Bertam state assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, inspected the damage at SMK Haji Abdul Kadir. A plan was discussed with the school principal to utilize other rooms, like laboratories and workshops, as temporary classrooms for around 230 form two students affected by the damage.

Reezal Merican noted that the storm caused significant damage not only to educational institutions but also to private premises. Initial assistance has been arranged for those impacted. It is estimated that over 90 homes, including business premises, schools, a hospital, and a fire station in Kepala Batas, suffered damage from the storm and strong winds, primarily involving roofs being blown off.