The Odisha government extended the school summer vacation by two days in view of the prevailing hot and humid weather, an official said.

Schools, both government and private schools across the state would now reopen on June 21 instead of June 19, the official said on Friday.

"The government after careful consideration has been pleased to reopen the schools under the School and Mass Education department on 21.06.2023," the letter issued by the department said The entire state continues to be under the grip of an intense heatwave with as many as 31 places recording temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more on Friday.

Sonepur was the hottest place in the state at 45.6 degrees Celsius on Friday, followed by Jharsuguda 45.4 C, Balangir 45.3 C, Sambalpur 44.8 C, Angul 44.7 C, Hirakud 44.6 C, Bhubaneswar 44.6 C, Sundargarh 44.5 C, Talcher 44.4 C, Boudh 44.2 C and Rourkela and Bargarh at 44 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the IMD has forecast no large change in maximum temperature (day temperature) during the next four days and a slight fall thereafter at many places in the state. It is likely to be above normal by 4-7 degree Celsius at a few places during the period, the MeT office said.

The state is expecting an outbreak of southwest monsoon between June 18 to June 21, sources in the local weather office said.

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