Heavy rainfall continuing across several parts of southern and western India has prompted authorities to announce precautionary measures, including the closure of educational institutions in affected regions. In Karnataka, schools and colleges in Hosanagar and Sagar taluks of Shivamogga district remained closed on July 8 after the district administration declared a holiday to ensure the safety of students amid persistent rainfall and strong winds. The decision comes as the state continues to experience an active monsoon spell, with officials closely monitoring weather conditions in vulnerable areas.
According to district authorities, all schools, colleges, anganwadi centres, and pre-university (PU) colleges in Hosanagar taluk have been directed to remain closed for the day. Hosanagar Tahsildar Bharat Raj issued the order as a precautionary measure considering the prevailing weather conditions. To ensure that the academic calendar is not disrupted, educational institutions have also been instructed to compensate for the lost instructional time by conducting classes on future holidays so that the prescribed syllabus can be completed within the scheduled timeframe.
Officials stated that the holiday was announced after taking into account the welfare of students, particularly due to continuous heavy rainfall accompanied by cold winds affecting Sagar taluk and surrounding areas. The administration emphasised that the move was aimed at preventing any inconvenience or risk to children travelling to educational institutions during adverse weather conditions. This marks the second occasion since the onset of the southwest monsoon that the Shivamogga district administration has issued a red alert and suspended classes in educational institutions because of intense rainfall.
The impact of the ongoing monsoon has also been felt in neighbouring states. Odisha witnessed widespread rainfall on July 7, leading to the closure of schools in several districts. However, no official announcement regarding school closures for July 8 had been issued at the time of the latest update.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra continues to battle heavy rainfall across multiple districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several regions, prompting the state government to implement precautionary measures.
In Maharashtra, the Palghar district administration has declared a holiday for all educational institutions on July 8 due to the continuing spell of heavy rain. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not yet announced whether schools in Mumbai will remain closed. Reports from local media indicate that some educational institutions have shifted to online classes in view of the weather conditions. Students and parents have therefore been advised to remain in regular contact with their respective schools for the latest announcements regarding classes and holiday notifications.
Educational institutions across several parts of Maharashtra had already remained closed on July 7 and on multiple days earlier as the rainfall intensified. Authorities have also postponed all examinations scheduled during the first week of July, stating that revised dates will be announced once the weather situation improves and normalcy is restored.
Earlier, on July 6, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ordered the closure of all government, private and civic-run schools in Mumbai following the IMD's orange alert for the city. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) also suspended school classes on the same day as a preventive measure to protect students from worsening weather conditions. In neighbouring Thane district, District Collector and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, Dr. Shrikrishna Panchal, directed the closure of all anganwadis, primary, secondary and higher secondary schools, as well as colleges, for July 7 in view of the continuing heavy rainfall and the associated safety concerns. As the monsoon remains active, authorities in the affected states continue to monitor the situation closely and are expected to issue further advisories based on weather forecasts and ground conditions.