Bhubaneswar, April 21 (IANS) Orissa Monday declared an early summer vacation for schools due to an unprecedented heat wave in the state that has reportedly caused death of at least 22 people although official figures say only four people have died. “Both the private and government schools in the state have been ordered to declare an early summer vacation from Tuesday,” a top official of the state revenue department told IANS.

“Usually the summer vacation starts from May every year but we have asked the school authorities to declare it early this year because temperature has crossed 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state,” he said.

The mercury has crossed over 40 degrees Celsius in many places including Jharsuguda, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Talcher and Titilagarh town in the past one week.

On Monday, maximum temperature recorded at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was 39.1 and 40.1 degrees Celsius respectively. The Jharsuguda, Sambalpur , Hirakud , Keonjhar and Chandbali towns saw the mercury crossing 41-degree mark, an official of the Bhubaneswar Met Office said.

The heat wave conditions are likely to prevail during next 48 hours, he said.

According to local media reports, at least 22 people have died of sunstroke since March. However, an official of the state revenue control room has only confirmed four deaths.