Several city schools rescheduled their summer vacation dates after thundershowers on Tuesday night prompted the Patna district administration to allow schools to conduct special classes.

Earlier, the district administration had directed schools to start summer vacations from May 5. The administration's latest directive however allows schools to continue their classes and start vacations from mid May.

Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal issued a directive late on Tuesday evening allowing private schools to conduct remedial or extra classes between 7am to 10:30am. "As the weather conditions have changed, we decided to permit schools to conduct special classes," Agarwal said. "The administration is keeping a tab on the weather conditions. If heat wave conditions prevail, we will ask schools to wind up classes."

Some schools, including St Josephs Convent High School, St Xavier's High School, Don Bosco Primary and branches of DAV Public School have however decided to adhere to the earlier directive and start vacations from May 5.

Don Bosco Academy principal Mary Alphonsa said: "Students and teachers will get ample time to cover major portions of the syllabus before the vacations, which would otherwise get difficult."

Like Don Bosco Academy, schools like Notre Dame Academy and St Dominic Savio's High School will conduct classes till May 13. St Michael's High School, Mt Carmel High School and Loyola High School have announced vacations from May 15.

St Karen's High School principal Seema Singh said her school administration didn't decide on the summer vacation dates. "As the weather conditions have changed, we decided to continue with academic work for all the classes. If heat wave conditions prevail again, we will just continue with remedial classes for classes X and XII till mid-May," she said.

International School director Farhat Hassan said: "The summer vacations for Montessori and primary sections of the CBSE and ICSE wings start tomorrow as per the district administration's earlier directive. However, the session will continue classes VI to IX of the CBSE and ICSE wings till May 13. The summer vacations will start from May 27 for classes X and XII."

Patna meteorological centre director Ashish Sen said: "The temperature will stay below normal till May 8. After that, temperature will gradually rise and heat wave conditions may prevail after May 10."