Rising heat prompts early holidays in city schools

Indore: The scorching sun showed no mercy on Saturday, pushing the mercury to 42.2 degrees Celsius — the highest recorded in the city this season prompting district education department to declare a holiday for students up to class 8 from April 27 to 30, effectively advancing the summer vacations.Students of classes 9 to 12, however, will continue to attend school in the cooler morning hours — from 7:30 am to noon — until April 30, after which formal summer vacations begin for all, lasting until June 15, as per an order issued by district education officer Shanta Swami Bhargav.The heat had dealt a particularly harsh blow to school-going children, many of whom had been enduring long commutes and sweltering classrooms in peak afternoon conditions.According to data from the Met department, Saturday's maximum temperature in Indore stood at 42.2°C, running three degrees above the seasonal normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 22.2°C.Relative humidity dropped sharply through the day, falling from 36 percent in the morning to just 22 percent by late afternoon, a combination that made conditions feel considerably more oppressive than the actual temperature readings.The IMD's Bhopal office has placed Indore under a ‘severe heat' category, with temperatures expected to remain in the 40–42°C range over the coming days.Health department had earlier issued an advisory to avoid venturing long hours outdoors, stay hydrated, and wear light, loose clothing.