In view of the heat wave conditions across the state, all schools in Odisha will remain closed for five days from April 26 to 30.
“In view of the heat wave situation in the State, the Government after careful consideration is pleased to suspend all sections of Government, Government Aided and Private. educational institution From April 26 to April 30,” the state additional secretary said in a new order.
However, this instruction will not apply to those examinations which have already been scheduled by the Odisha Board of Secondary Education and the Council of Higher Education.
A heatwave occurs when the maximum temperature is 4.5–6.4 °C above normal and at least 40 °C in the plains or 37 °C in the coastal areas.
The new order comes after the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for some districts of western Odisha for the next four days.
A ‘Yellow’ alert indicates that the heat is tolerable, but there is little health concern for vulnerable sections such as the elderly and infants.
The Meteorological Department has advised people to take precautions while going out from 11 am to 3 pm.
The scorching heat in state capital Bhubaneswar on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 43.3 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.
Subarnapur town in western Odisha recorded a temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state. The mercury in Cuttack was recorded at 41.1 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.
Meteorological officials said that the temperature in the coastal state was recorded at more than 40 degrees Celsius at twenty-eight places.
The temperature in Bhubaneswar was the third highest since April 2011. The city recorded 45.8 °C in April 2016 and 43.7 °C in April 2019.
He said the mercury could rise by 3-5 degrees Celsius in the interior parts of the state during the next two days due to northwesterly dry air and high solar insolation.