Schools in Pakistan's Punjab to remain closed for 7 days from May 25 amid heatwave

Islamabad, May 21: In the wake of a surge in temperature and heatwave in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, all public and private schools will remain closed for seven days on May 25-31, local authorities said. However, schools will be allowed to conduct examinations as scheduled, with necessary precautions to ensure the safety of students, the School Education Department of the Punjab government said on Monday in a notification.

Last week, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere, heatwave conditions are likely to develop over most parts of the country, especially over Punjab and the southern Sindh province from May 21, Xinhua news agency reported. This will likely convert to severe heatwave conditions on May 23-27, it added.

The PMD advised the public to avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight, requesting judicious use of water in all aspects of life. Extreme dry and heatwave conditions may trigger bushfires and forest fires in vulnerable areas of Punjab and other parts of the South Asian country, according to the PMD.