LAHORE – Summer vacations for thousands of students in Punjab could be extended as relentless monsoon rains and worsening flood conditions force authorities to reconsider the reopening of schools in the province’s worst-hit districts. Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) recommended to Punjab School Education Department that schools in flood-affected areas remain closed after mid August, citing growing safety concerns amid continuing heavy rainfall. Weather officials have warned that the latest system could trigger urban flooding, landslides and a sharp rise in water levels in rivers, streams and hill torrents. PDMA has cautioned that low-lying urban areas face a significant risk of flooding, while prolonged rainfall may trigger landslides in Murree, Galiyat and other mountainous regions. Rising river flows caused by heavy rainfall in upper catchment areas have also prompted emergency agencies and district administrations to remain on high alert.