Pakistan’s Punjab province has ordered all public and private schools to begin summer vacations early due to soaring temperatures, officials announced Tuesday. Originally scheduled to start on June 1, the holidays will now commence on May 28, according to Education Minister Rana Sikander Hayat.
The provincial education department has also mandated that all schools close by 11:30 a.m. daily due to ongoing heatwave conditions. Pakistan, highly vulnerable to climate change, has faced unseasonably high temperatures this year, with parts of Punjab recording highs of 46.5°C (115.7°F).
The national meteorological agency has warned that temperatures in northern Punjab could climb 5 to 7°C above normal in the coming days. An education department representative said the early closures were necessary to protect students from the extreme weather. Similar heat-related closures occurred last year, along with school shutdowns due to heavy smog, highlighting the region’s growing environmental challenges.
