Odisha announces early summer vacation for all schools amid intense heatwave

On Wednesday, at least 30 places in the state experienced temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius, with Baripada recording 44.5 degrees, the highest in the state so far this year

Updated on: Apr 20, 2023, 10:59:50 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Odisha government on Thursday announced early summer vacation for students in all state, private and aided schools till the 12th standard in view of the unrelenting heatwave prevailing in the entire region.

Students use umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat amid a rise in the temperature on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

According to the order, the summer vacation holidays in schools will now commence from April 21 instead of the first week of May. Schools in the state were already asked to remain closed for the last two days due to heatwave.

On Wednesday, at least 30 places in the state experienced temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius, with Baripada recording 44.5 degrees, the highest in the state so far this year.

Weather information service provider Ogimet on April 13 reported that Baripada recorded the maximum day temperature at 43.5 degrees Celsius.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert in several parts of Odisha for the next 24 hours.

“We have issued heatwave warnings in six districts – Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Boudh. Some districts may witness lightning and thunderstorm activities on April 21, 22 and 23,” said IMD scientist Umashankar Das.

According to IMD, there will be no change in the maximum day temperature over the next two days and the mercury will register a gradual dip of 2-4 degrees Celsius on the subsequent three days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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