ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Punjab announced on Friday it would cut short the usual timings of all public and private schools for the rest of the month amid rising temperatures and warnings from the Meteorological Department of impending heatwaves in the coming weeks.

Just a day earlier, the Met Department warned that a major heatwave was set to engulf much of the country next week, with daytime temperatures expected to rise four to six degrees Celsius above the average.

It also predicted dust storms and heavy rains in various parts of Pakistan, including Punjab.

“In the wake of severe weather, it is hereby notified that following School timings shall be observed in all Public and Private Schools in the Province of Punjab with effect from 18th May to 31st May, 2024,” said a notification circulated by the provincial education department, showing 7 AM as the starting time and 11:30 AM as the finishing hour.

It instructed the schools to end classes at 10:30 AM on Friday and Saturday.

The notification also instructed the school authorities to ensure that all fans were in working condition, water coolers were available and no student was made to sit in uncovered and open spaces like lawns in summer season.

Another notification also announced that all the schools in the province will remain closed from June 1 to August 14 for summer vacation.

“All schools in the province shall reopen with effect from Thursday 15th August, 2024,” it added.

In recent years, Pakistan has experienced extreme weather patterns, including unprecedented rains, flash floods, droughts and heatwaves.

Experts attribute these erratic weather patterns to climate change, placing Pakistan among the ten countries most vulnerable to its impacts.