Kashmir schools shut for 15 days due to intense heatwave

Due to the ongoing heatwave condition across Kashmir, the Directorate of School Education has announced a 15-day summer holiday for all government and recognised private schools up to higher secondary level. 

 

The break will start on June 23 and end on July 7.

 

The official order, issued on Saturday, says that the decision has been approved by the authorities concerned and applies to all schools in the Kashmir Division.

 

This step has been taken to protect students and teachers from the extreme heat, especially in areas where schools do not have proper cooling or ventilation facilities. The weather has made classroom learning difficult in recent days.

 

On Friday, Srinagar recorded its hottest June day in 20 years, with the temperature reaching 35.5°C, which is 6.3°C above normal.

 

The same night, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 23.2°C, the hottest June night since 1990.

 

Other districts like Anantnag, Baramulla, and Kupwara have also reported unusually high temperatures over the past week.

 

Health experts are advising people to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, drink plenty of water, and avoid outdoor activity, especially for children and the elderly.

 

In recent years, Kashmir’s school calendar has often been affected by changing weather patterns, including both extreme heat and delayed winters. 

 

This year’s heatwave has again forced the education department to adjust the academic schedule.

 

Parents and teachers have welcomed the decision, saying the heat had made it very hard for children to focus in classrooms. 

 

Officials have said the move was taken in the interest of students' health and that schools will adjust their teaching plans after the break.

 

The authorities are also keeping an eye on the weather, and further steps will be taken if the high temperatures continue.

 

Meanwhile, the tourists in Kashmir seem to be enjoying the weather and are visiting different places.

 

Tourist arrivals have started to pick up after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead. Efforts by the J&K government, tour operators of Kashmir and different parts of India have helped restore tourist confidence in Kashmir.

India