Key points
- PDMA suggests adjustments in school timings in Punjab
- Temperatures steadily climbing as summer intensifies in Pakistan
- UNICEF says over 118 million students affected due to climate events last April
ISLAMABAD: Changing weather patterns in Pakistan may affect people’ daily routine as the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has recommended an early start to summer vacations in Punjab’s educational institutions.
Local media reported that the PDMA has made the recommendations due to the intensifying heat and the risk of heatwaves in the country.
A letter issued by PDMA Director General has been sent to the provincial school education and higher education departments, all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, advising them to take precautionary measures.
The letter suggests adjustments in school timings and suggests announcing summer breaks earlier if temperatures continue to increase.
Authorities have also been urged to ensure uninterrupted access to clean drinking water in schools and colleges, prohibit outdoor activities, and instruct students to wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
Additionally, the PDMA has called for improved classroom ventilation, functioning fans and cooling systems, and the establishment of first-aid counters staffed with heatwave-trained personnel, according to local media.
Moreover, dry weather conditions continue across Punjab, with temperatures steadily climbing as summer heat intensifies.
The Met Office said that Lahore’s minimum temperature has reached 23°C, while the maximum is expected to rise to 40°C in the coming days.
Extreme climate events
In January, UNICEF said at least 242 million students in 85 nations had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024, including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning crisis.
Heatwaves were the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year, with over 118 million students affected in April alone, according to the data. Bangladesh and the Philippines experienced widespread school closures in April, while Cambodia shortened the school day by two hours. In May, temperatures spiked to 47 degrees Centigrade/116 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of South Asia, placing children at risk of heat stroke.
In a statement, Europe’s climate monitor said that Global temperatures hovered at historic highs in March. In Europe, it was the hottest March ever recorded by a significant margin, said the Copernicus Climate Change Service, driving rainfall extremes across a continent warming faster than any other.
The world meanwhile saw the second-hottest March in the Copernicus dataset, sustaining a near-unbroken spell of record or near-record-breaking temperatures that has persisted since July 2023.
