The Jharkhand government on Sunday again extended the school closure for students up to Class 8 till June 21 due to the prevailing heatwave conditions.?

This is for the third time that the summer break was extended this year.?

Earlier, the government had announced the extension of summer vacation on June 11 and June 14. ?The schools were to open for primary and middle-level students on June 19. ?

However, students of Classes 9 to 12 would have to attend schools from 7 am to 11 am, an order issued by the secretary of the school education and literacy department K Ravi Kumar said.?

“All categories of government, non-government, aided/ non-aided (including minority) and all private schools operating in the state will remain closed from June 19 till June 21 for classes from KG to 8 while the Classes for 9 to 12 will be conducted from 7 am to 11 am in wake of extreme heat and heat wave conditions,” the order said.?

Heatwave conditions continue unabated in Jharkhand with maximum temperature hovering between 41 and 46 degrees Celsius.?

Ranchi Meteorological Centre in-charge Abhishek Anand said any major change in maximum temperature is unlikely for the next couple of days. ?

“Thereafter, the temperature might decline by two to three degrees Celsius,” he said.?

On the progress of monsoon, ?he said, “Conditions are favourable for advancement of southwest monsoon over some parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next two-three days.”?

Usually, monsoon arrives in Jharkhand between June 10 and June 15.? It reached near Sahibganj district in the state’s northeast on June 12 but “did not proceed further as conditions were not favourable”.