Kolkata, south Bengal boil; summer vacation extended

With Kolkata and large parts of southern West Bengal's districts reeling under a heat wave, the government has decided to extend summer vacation in government schools across the state upto June 30, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Monday.

In Kolkata, as also many other district towns, the mercury continued to hover above 40 degrees Celsius, alongside a high humidity level, causing discomfort for the people.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre here, the maximum recorded temperature in the eastern metropolis reached around 40.6 degrees - almost 7 degrees above average. The minimum temperature was around 30 degrees, 3 degrees above normal.

The relative humidity touched 65 per cent in the morning and 47 per cent in the evening, causing immense distress. The RH determines the impact of heat and humidity together on the skin.

The maximum temperature was 40.7 degrees in Purulia and 42.2 degrees in Bankura.

With guardians across the state speaking out on the difficulties for children to step out in the scorching heat, Chatterjee announced the extension of the summer vacation, which was earlier scheduled to be over on Tuesday.

"The summer vacation in state run schools from primary to the higher secondary level will be extended from June 20-June 30," he said.

The government will also talk to the private schools on the need to extend the relief to their students.

Meanwhile, the Met department has warned that the oppressive weather would continue over the next 48 hours.

"Due to weak monsoon flow and prevailing strong West to Northwesterly winds in lower levels, moderate heat wave condition (is) likely to prevail over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal including Kolkata during next 48 hours," the Met department said in a statement.

However, north Bengal is facing cloudy skies with one or two spells of rain. But there is no possibility of rain in southern parts.

--IANS

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