Odisha schools to be shut till April 20 as mercury soars

The Government of Odisha announced on Monday for the closure of schools till 20th April due to the heat wave in state, which caused 19 deaths so far been reported. Normal life continued to remain affected in Odisha as the 40 degrees Celsius in most parts of the state. A meteorological office release here said 17 places in Odisha recorded temperatures above 40 degrees while Talcher, Chandbali and Sundargarh recorded above 43 degrees. The state capital recorded a high of 45.8 degrees, the highest for the month since 1985 when it was 45 degrees on April 23 that year. The Meteorological department said intense heat wave would continue for a week.