Goa Heatwave: Temperature Will Remain High for Next 2 Days, Schools to Get Over Before Noon

Schools in Goa will be shut before noon on Thursday and Friday as heatwave is expected in the state for the next two days. On Wednesday, the daytime temperature in Panaji was 8.4 degree Celsius.

“We have told schools to allow the students to leave by noon. It is for today and tomorrow,” director of education Shailesh Zingade was quoted by news agency IANS.

The India Meteorological department (IMD) has issued a heat wave warning for March 8 and 9 for Goa. “With the strengthening of easterly winds, clear sky conditions and delay in setting time of sea breeze, the maximum temperature over Goa is likely to remain 4-6 °C higher than its normal value. Persistence of these conditions is likely to satisfy the criteria of heat wave over Goa on Thursday,” the IMD forecast read.

The news agency quoted its sources from the education department as saying that as many schools are conducting exams, they have been told to advance the timings of exams. “Management has to work on this and advance the timing of exams. They should take it seriously,” sources said.

A heat wave warning is issued when the maximum temperature is greater than or equal to 37°C or departure of maximum temperature from normal is greater than 4.5°C for two continuous days, then the second day is considered to have realised the heat wave conditions.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the ongoing dry heat wave is said to be a major contributory factor that has prompted wildfires in Goa’s Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as well as in several other parts of the state that have been raging for the fourth day now, despite earlier claims that they have been doused.

On Wednesday, the Goa government with the help of the Navy conducted an aerial survey to ascertain the extent of the wildfires and help douse the flames, the report stated.

Read all the Latest India News here