Punjab Minister for Education Rana Sikandar Hayat has announced summer vacation for all schools across the province from May 28 amid an intense heatwave.

In a statement issued by the education ministry, Hayat also announced revised school timings due to the rising temperatures. The new school timings will be observed from 7:30am to 11:30am effective from May 21 (tomorrow) until the start of the summer vacations.

The Punjab government has decided to give the summer vacation just a few days earlier than the scheduled date of June 1 due to the extreme heatwave prevalent in the province like elsewhere in the country.

The minister earlier said that consultations are underway regarding the announcement of the summer vacation and the decision will be made in a few days. He said efforts are being made to overcome the academic losses due to the closure of schools while ensuring the safety and well-being of students.

Hayat said safety instructions have been issued by the concerned departments amid the severity of the heatwave, adding that students can protect themselves from the effects of the blistering weather by following the guidelines.

Last month, schools across Punjab were advised to alter working hours or declare early summer holidays if excessive heat persists.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued urgent directives to educational institutions and district administrations across the province in view of heatwave threat. The institutions were advised to take immediate measures to protect students and staff from extreme heat.

The advisory included schools altering working hours or declaring early summer holidays if excessive heat persists, immediately suspending all outdoor sports and activities, ensuring uninterrupted availability of clean, cold drinking water and maintain functional ventilation, fans, and cooling systems at schools and students wearing loose, light-colour clothing.

A letter in this regard was sent by PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia to school education and higher education departments.

Another heatwave to grip country

The Met Department has issued an advisory for another heatwave from May 20 to May 24. The forecast for a heatwave comes on the back of a similar advisory issued on May 15.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), high pressure is likely to persist in the upper atmosphere during the ongoing week, with day temperatures soaring to four to seven degrees Celsius.

“A shallow trough of westerly wave is affecting upper parts of the country,” the advisory stated, adding that the weather system is likely to persist during the next four days.

Day temperatures are likely to remain 4 to 6°C above normal in Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan during the forecast period. In central and upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the temperatures are likely to remain 5-7°C above normal.