Heatwave impact: This state begins summer vacations for schools today amid record-high temperatures

India Heatwave impact: The Odisha government has announced that summer vacations for schools will begin on April 25. This comes as temperatures in the state range from 40 to 45.2 degrees Celsius. 

The early summer vacations will include all schools, including government, government-aided, and private institutions.

Odisha continued to reel under an intense heatwave as state capital Bhubaneswar on Thursday recorded over 40 degrees Celsius temperature for the second time in three days.

Heatwave alert in India: Temperature to soar in Bengal, Odisha, and other states

Earlier on April 22, the capital city of Odisha recorded a maximum temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius and was the hottest place in the state for the day.

According to IMD's Regional Centre, the maximum temperature in the state is expected to rise by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days.

The weather office issued an orange warning (be prepared) for a heatwave in Gajapati and Ganjam districts on April 25.

It has also issued a yellow warning (be updated) for Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Angul, Nayagarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Khurda, Cuttack, and Dhenkanal districts.

The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions. A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal temperature exceeds 6.4 notches.

Red alert issued over severe heatwave until April 28 ahead of LS polls phase 2

Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period when around a billion people are expected to exercise their franchise during the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, heightening concerns about vulnerability to heat waves.

The Indian summer is too hot for elections

The Met Office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 days of heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period.

The intense heat could strain power grids and result in water shortages in parts of India.

In a mid-April update, the IMD said India would experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions, expected to set in by August-September, being the dominant factor. La Nina conditions -- the antithesis of El Nino -- lead to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.