ISLAMABAD (AP) — Authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday urged people to stay indoors as the country is hit by an extreme heat wave that threatens to bring dangerously high temperatures and yet another round of glacial-driven floods. Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, is shutting all schools for a week because of the heat, affecting an estimated 18 million students. “The sweltering heat will continue this month,” said Zaheer Ahmed Babar, a senior official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department. He added that temperatures could reach up to 6 degrees Celsius (10.8 Fahrenheit) above the monthly average. This week could rise above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in many parts of the country, Babar said. It’s the latest climate-related disaster to hit the country in recent years. Melting glaciers and growing monsoons have caused devastating floods, at one point submerging a third of the country. |
Domestic terrorism, political violence seen as top threat to U.S. interests in 2024: surveyCoyotes sale to Utah Jazz owner expected next week, Arizona to get expansion team, AP source saysU.S. House Republicans fail to impeach homeland security secretary over border securityFood for Gaza plan unveiled in Italy to coordinate int'l humanitarian aidDylan Larkin scores powerFeature: Asian Americans pledge to fight discrimination, hate in U.S.Coachella: Earthquake shakes SoCal desert during music festLawsuits, protests call on U.S. gov't to halt support for IsraelAfrica Energy Indaba highlights prospects of South AfricaWestfield Bondi Junction incident live updates: Heartbreak as mother of nine