KARACHI: A cold wave continued to grip the metropolis on Sunday as temperatures remained significantly lower, prompting the Sindh government to extend the revised school opening timings across the province until Feb 4.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the minimum temperature in the city fell to 8.5 degrees Celsius, while in the daytime it rose to 21.8 °C on Sunday.

The daily advisory issued by the department said that cold winds were blowing from the northeast at a speed of 15 kilometres per hour, further adding to the chill felt across the city.

According to the PMD’s forecast, a western weather system is expected to impact the northern parts of the country on Monday (today) and, under its influence, districts including Sukkur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Dadu may experience heavy winds accompanied by thunderstorms and rain.

Elsewhere in Sindh, the weather is likely to remain cold and dry.

The Met Office forecast that the current weather conditions are expected to stay dry, with cold nights and occasional strong winds likely to prevail over the next few days.

The continued spell of cold weather has disrupted daily routines, particularly for school-going children.

Consequently, the Sindh government has decided to extend the adjusted school timings to protect students from early morning cold exposure.

The Sindh School Education Department, in a statement, announced the decision to delay school opening hours due to the ongoing cold weather across the province.

According to an official notification, all public and private schools in Sindh will continue to start classes at 9am until Feb 4.

The decision has been taken in view of the prevailing cold conditions to ensure the health and safety of students, it said.

The spokesperson for the education department said the revised timings would be implemented uniformly across government and private educational institutions.

Earlier, the department had announced the change in school timings till Jan 26 as a temporary measure during the cold spell, which has persisted in several parts of the province.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2026