Not just Delhi or other parts of the Northwest plains, even the hill state of Himachal Pradesh is battling a heatwave, prompting authorities to issue an alert and change school timings.
Heatwave conditions are most likely to continue over plains of Northwest India, north Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat State during the next five days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its bulletin on Monday, May 20, amid several states recording unbearably high temperatures.
Not just Delhi or other parts of the Northwest plains, even the hill state of Himachal Pradesh is battling a heatwave, prompting authorities to issue an alert and change school timings.
IMD declares a heatwave if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains, 37 degrees or more for coastal stations and at least 30 degrees or more for hilly regions.
Delhi's Mercury Breaches 47 Deg C Again: A day after the Najafgarh weather station in Delhi recorded country's highest temperature at 47.8 degrees Celsius, the city on Monday again saw the mercury breaching the 47 degrees C-mark amid a red alert for heatwave. On Monday the national capital experienced the second-highest maximum temperature, 3.7 degrees above normal. Najafgarh recorded a high of 47.4 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Red, Orange And Yellow Alert For Heatwave: According to the IMD May 20 bulletin, a red alert for heatwave is issued in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh; Orange alert is on in East Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat State, West Madhya Pradesh; and a Yellow alert has been sounded for East Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Vidarbha, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu division.
ALSO READ | Delhi's Najafgarh Logs 47.8 Deg C, Highest In Country, Red Alert On; Warning In Kerala Over Rain
Delhi Schools Ordered Closed: Amid heatwave conditions, Delhi government on Monday directed private and government-aided schools that have not closed for summer vacations despite high temperatures to do so with immediate effect. In a circular, the Directorate of Education said all the schools were directed to observe summer vacation from May 11 to June 30 for this academic year.
ALSO READ | Heatwave Alert: Delhi Orders Closure Of All Schools With Immediate Effect
Punjab, Noida Also Announce School Summer Vacations: The Punjab government on Monday announced summer holidays in all government, aided and private schools from May 21 to June 30 amid severe heatwave conditions. Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar also on Monday announced summer vacations for students of classes 9 to 12 across all schools in Noida and Greater Noida amid severe heatwave conditions. Summer holidays for students in classes up to 8 have already been declared in the district.
Heatwave Alert In 8 Himachal Districts: Himachal Pradesh government also on Monday ordered change in school timings for places in the lower hills after a heatwave alert for several districts. The IMD on Sunday issued a heatwave alert for eight out of 12 districts, barring Shimla, Chamba, Kinnau and Lahaul and Spiti. The meteorological centre in Shimla on Sunday issued a yellow alert for heat wave for the next four days.
ALSO READ | Heatwave Alert: IMD Warns Of Extreme Heat Till May 22, Red Alert In Delhi - Weather Wrap
Heatwave Kills Man In Rajasthan: Amid mercury soaring high, heatwave in Rajasthan's Kota claimed the life of a man from Uttar Pradesh, police said. The body of a 44-year-old man identified as Mahendra Kushwah, a resident of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, was found near a hotel at Bajaria in Dadwada, on Sunday evening, the police added. Prima facie Kushwah was hit by the heatwave on Sunday and died, however, the exact cause of death would be clear after the postmortem report, as per the police.