Morning schools in Odisha from April as mercury spirals

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Thursday rescheduled the school timings keeping in view the prevailing heat wave condition across the state, an official notification said. In a letter to authorities, the School and Mass Education (SME) Department said the order would be applicable to all educational institutions like government schools, government-aided schools and privately-managed institutions to “mitigate” the heatwave situation in the state during the summer.

A searing heatwave engulfed some districts in the western parts of the state for the second consecutive day on Thursday as hot dry air intensified from the northwest, a Met official said. Morning classes will be held for Classes 1 to 8 from 6.30 am to 10.30 am from April 2. Students of Classes 9 to 12 will attend school from 7 am to 11.30 am, according to the SME Department.

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The second spell of a sweltering heatwave in the summer prevailed at some places in Boudh, Bolangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Subarnapur districts, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said. At least eight weather stations logged a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius or above. Titlagarh in Bolangir district recorded 42.2 degrees, the highest in the state. A heatwave is declared if the departure from normal is between 4.5-6.4 notches when the maximum reaches at least 40 degrees in the plains or 37 in the coastal weather stations. Few other criteria can also lead to its declaration. The air temperature can become fatal to the human body when exposed to a heatwave, according to the India Meteorological Department.

It was partly cloudy and windy in Bhubaneswar, where the maximum dropped to 35.6 degrees, while it was 34.6 in Cuttack, the Met centre said. The maximum will be above normal by 3-4 notches at many places in western Odisha till Sunday. It will fall by about 2 degrees in the subsequent two days, the official said. The Met issued a yellow warning of a heatwave in the five districts on Friday.

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A yellow warning denotes that the conditions are tolerable, but there is a moderate health concern for vulnerable sections like the elderly and infants. The Met has advised people to avoid heat exposure and take precautionary measures while going outside from noon to 3 pm in these areas. People should wear light clothes and avoid going outside unless necessary during the afternoon. They can have fruits like grapes and watermelon, and replace intake of fizzy drinks with water to stay hydrated and be safe from heatstroke, the Health Department said.