Extreme heat to cut school days in Pakistan again
The disaster agency in the central province of Punjab advised the government to order the closure of schools earlier than June, when pupils are normally let out for the summer. The government is expected to follow the agency's recommendation.
Many school buildings are not equipped with air conditioning. And the students' journeys to school in the intense heat poses its own health risks.
"This step will protect children from from heatstroke and a possible oubreak of diarrhoea," disaster agency's chief Irfan Ali said on Thursday.
The daytime temperatures in parts of the province with a population of nearly 130 million hover around 50 degrees Celsius during the scorching summer months.
'The heatwaves are going to be sever and longer than ever before,' the meteorological department warned after temperature rose to 47 degrees Celsius in some cities, in an unusual high for April.
Nearly 100 school days were lost to sever weather events during last academic year, highlighting the sever impact of climate change on education
Pakistan is already lagging behind in education with millions of children aged between 5 and 16 are out of classroom.
Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis despite its meagre contribution to global carbon omissions, according to the United Nations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
6 hours ago
It's the time of year for Cape Verde hurricanes, the longest and most powerful storms
They are the hurricanes of legend, the bowling balls that cross the entire Atlantic Ocean, menaced ships of yore and make the long, curved lines on the hurricane charts. Cape Verde storms, named for the group of islands about 450 miles (725 kilometers) off the west coast of Africa, typically form from clusters of thunderstorms that move off the continent and into the Atlantic. With thousands of miles of ocean water above the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) temperature needed to fuel hurricanes, Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America. About 85% of all major hurricanes — Category 3 and higher — start out there, according to the National Hurricane Center. 'They are the media stars and certainly get a lot of attention because you can track them for a long time," said Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections. But they also are a rare threat. Less than one out of every 10 of the storms crash into the U.S. The rest either fall apart or are curved out to sea by the north and east steering winds that normally prevail over the Atlantic. Conditions need to be just right for Cape Verde storms to form and grow, keeping them mostly confined to August and September. Hurricane Erin is a Cape Verde storm. The National Hurricane Center is watching two more clusters of storms to the east of Erin that could develop into tropical storms. But the atmosphere is too complex to know how strong those storms can be if they develop or whether any of them will threaten the U.S. Forecasters begin to lose confidence in their ability to predict the future of any specific storms more than a week out. It takes at least 10 days for a potential hurricane to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Verde storms start over Africa where the hot dry air in the Sahara and the hot humid air over the Gulf of Guinea clash and create clusters of thunderstorms that move off the continent. The warm water is the first ingredient. Hurricanes also thrive with light winds above them that won't blow the thunderstorms away from the center. 'They are the strongest because they have the most time to develop. The other storms can crash into land too early,' Masters said.) Researchers have spent the past several years studying the ocean and atmosphere in the far eastern Atlantic to get a better idea of why some storms form and some don't. In recent years, scientists have realized that dry air and dust from the Sahara in Africa blown into the Atlantic from the east can lessen the high humidity hurricanes need and inhibit their development. The dust can travel all the way across the ocean and settle on cars and windows on the U.S. East Coast. 'They travel about a mile above the surface, the winds are very strong, and the air is dry and hot. That's a trifecta that suppresses hurricane activity," Jason Dunion, a scientist at the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies told the university. Some years may not see a Cape Verde storm at all. Some can see as many as four or five. But on average about one or two hurricanes a year are classified as Cape Verde storms, according to the National Hurricane Center. And they aren't the only storms to hit the U.S. The Weather Channel analyzed hurricanes since 1995 and found only nine of the 60 that struck the U.S. were the ones that track all the way across the Atlantic. The list of famous Cape Verde hurricanes has a lot of overlap with the list of the most memorable, powerful and deadliest hurricanes. There is the 1900 Galveston Hurricane that killed about 8,000 people in Texas and the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane that killed 2,500 in Florida. In more recent times, hurricanes Donna in 1960 in Florida, Hugo in 1989 in South Carolina, Andrew in 1992 in Florida, Ivan in Grand Cayman, Alabama and Florida in 2004, Ike in Texas in 2008, Irma in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Florida in 2017 and Florence in North Carolina in 2018 were all Cape Verde storms.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
It's the time of year for Cape Verde hurricanes, the longest and most powerful storms
They are the hurricanes of legend, the bowling balls that cross the entire Atlantic Ocean, menaced ships of yore and make the long, curved lines on the hurricane charts. Cape Verde storms, named for the group of islands about 450 miles (725 kilometers) off the west coast of Africa, typically form from clusters of thunderstorms that move off the continent and into the Atlantic. With thousands of miles of ocean water above the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) temperature needed to fuel hurricanes, Cape Verde storms are some of the most dangerous that threaten North America. About 85% of all major hurricanes — Category 3 and higher — start out there, according to the National Hurricane Center. 'They are the media stars and certainly get a lot of attention because you can track them for a long time," said Jeff Masters, a meteorologist for Yale Climate Connections. But they also are a rare threat. Less than one out of every 10 of the storms crash into the U.S. The rest either fall apart or are curved out to sea by the north and east steering winds that normally prevail over the Atlantic. Now is the time to turn to the east Conditions need to be just right for Cape Verde storms to form and grow, keeping them mostly confined to August and September. Hurricane Erin is a Cape Verde storm. The National Hurricane Center is watching two more clusters of storms to the east of Erin that could develop into tropical storms. But the atmosphere is too complex to know how strong those storms can be if they develop or whether any of them will threaten the U.S. Forecasters begin to lose confidence in their ability to predict the future of any specific storms more than a week out. It takes at least 10 days for a potential hurricane to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Warn weather and light winds help Cape Verde storms grow Cape Verde storms start over Africa where the hot dry air in the Sahara and the hot humid air over the Gulf of Guinea clash and create clusters of thunderstorms that move off the continent. The warm water is the first ingredient. Hurricanes also thrive with light winds above them that won't blow the thunderstorms away from the center. 'They are the strongest because they have the most time to develop. The other storms can crash into land too early,' Masters said.) Researchers have spent the past several years studying the ocean and atmosphere in the far eastern Atlantic to get a better idea of why some storms form and some don't. In recent years, scientists have realized that dry air and dust from the Sahara in Africa blown into the Atlantic from the east can lessen the high humidity hurricanes need and inhibit their development. The dust can travel all the way across the ocean and settle on cars and windows on the U.S. East Coast. 'They travel about a mile above the surface, the winds are very strong, and the air is dry and hot. That's a trifecta that suppresses hurricane activity," Jason Dunion, a scientist at the University of Miami's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies told the university. 1 or 2 hurricanes a year are Cape Verde storms Some years may not see a Cape Verde storm at all. Some can see as many as four or five. But on average about one or two hurricanes a year are classified as Cape Verde storms, according to the National Hurricane Center. And they aren't the only storms to hit the U.S. The Weather Channel analyzed hurricanes since 1995 and found only nine of the 60 that struck the U.S. were the ones that track all the way across the Atlantic. The storms you remember The list of famous Cape Verde hurricanes has a lot of overlap with the list of the most memorable, powerful and deadliest hurricanes. There is the 1900 Galveston Hurricane that killed about 8,000 people in Texas and the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane that killed 2,500 in Florida. In more recent times, hurricanes Donna in 1960 in Florida, Hugo in 1989 in South Carolina, Andrew in 1992 in Florida, Ivan in Grand Cayman, Alabama and Florida in 2004, Ike in Texas in 2008, Irma in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Florida in 2017 and Florence in North Carolina in 2018 were all Cape Verde storms.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dangerous heat descends on California and the Southwest, raising wildfire risk
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A dangerous heat wave descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with triple-digit temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires. Officials opened cooling centers this week in Los Angeles, where residents are warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state firefighting resources deployed in areas where blazes could ignite. Here's what you need to know. Sizzling hot The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for Southern California starting Wednesday into the weekend. If outdoor activities can't be avoided, forecasters say, they should be moved to early morning hours. And everyone should hydrate. Downtown Los Angeles was forecast to reach 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius), while valleys to the north braced for temperatures as high as 108 F (42 C). It will be several degrees hotter in desert areas. Candice Catlett, who uses a wheelchair, rolled herself toward some shade as temperatures started spiking Tuesday in downtown LA. 'It's sizzling hot out here,' Catlett said. 'I have sunblock. Hopefully, I can find some cold water. I'm trying to stay out of the direct sun.' Further north, nearly-always-hot Death Valley could see a severe 120 F (49 C), the weather service said. In Arizona, the peak of the heat wave will hit Thursday and Friday, with the mercury possibly reaching 110 F (43 C) in the southern and western parts of the state. Similar temperatures were likely in Las Vegas. Fire risk Red flag warnings, signaling elevated wildfire danger, have been issued across Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties until Saturday. 'If you live in a high fire danger area in the mountains or foothills, review your evacuation plans and route and stay tuned to your local emergency officials,' the weather service said in a statement. The state has sent 10 fire engines and multiple firefighting teams to LA County to assist local agencies if blazes break out. 'By prepositioning firefighting crews, equipment, and other resources in high-risk areas, we can respond faster and more effectively when needed," said Nancy Ward, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. In the Sierra Nevada, higher than normal temperatures, low humidity and the possibility of lightning storms will contribute to the fire risk. California's largest blaze this year, the Gifford Fire, reached 95% containment Tuesday after charring nearly 206 square miles (534 square kilometers) of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties since erupting on Aug. 1. The cause is under investigation.
