Odisha announces early school summer vacation from April 25

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Sunday announced summer vacation for school students from April 25 in view of the prevailing intense heat wave conditions. The State government said all schools, including those run by government, government-aided and private, will remain closed from April 25.

The government has also announced morning classes from 6.30 am to 10.30 am in schools for three days from April 22 to April 24.

Earlier, the State had ordered the closure of all schools in the State for three days from April 18 to 20 after a severe heat wave situation during which the temperature rose to above 45 degrees Celsius.

Till 2.30 pm on Sunday, the highest temperature was recorded in Jharsuguda and Keonjhar towns at 43.6 degrees C. Six other places have recorded a maximum temperature above 40 degrees C.

They were Hirakud (41.8 degrees C), Rourkela (41.8), Sambalpur (41.7), Bhubaneswar (41.6), Chandbali (41.6) and Balasore (40.5 degrees C), IMD scientist Umashankar Das said.

Several parts of Odisha experienced severe heat wave on Saturday, with the mercury breaching the 43-degrees Celsius mark at 10 places, the Met Department said.

According to the evening bulletin issued by the IMD in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, Boudh in western Odisha and Baripada in the northern region were the hottest places, as both the towns recorded a maximum temperature of 45.2 degrees Celsius.

Nuapada registered 44 degrees Celsius, followed by Talcher and Bolangir (43.6 degrees C each), Nayagarh, Angul and Keonjhargarh (43.5 degrees C each), Jharsuguda 43.2 degrees C and Hirakud 43.1 degrees C.