NEW DELHI: Delhi’s authorities have mandated that schools close early for the summer holiday after the city’s capital was gripped by a” severe heatwave” and temperatures reached 47.4 degrees Celsius.
According to a government order quoted by the Hindustan Times on Tuesday ( May 21 ), Delhi city officers asked schools to close with “immediate effect” due to the burning heat, cutting short the term by a few days.
India’s weather bureau has warned of” severe thunderstorm problems” this year, with the metal reaching the sizzling apex of 47.4 degree Fahrenheit in Delhi’s Najafgarh district on Monday, the hottest temperature worldwide.
Officials in another says- including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan- have likewise ordered schools to shut, Indian Today reported.
India is no stranger to searing summer heat.
However, years of scientific studies have revealed that climate change is making heatwaves greater, more frequent, and more intense.
The Indian Meteorological Department issued a warning about the effects of the temperature, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with serious illnesses.
In May 2022, pieces of Delhi hit 49.2 degree Celsius, Indian media reported at the time.