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A biting cold wave has forced Uttar Pradesh to shut all schools till January 5. With dense fog, near-zero visibility and plunging temperatures disrupting life, authorities are on high alert to protect the vulnerable.
Schools in Uttar Pradesh to remain closed due to cold
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the closure of all schools across the state till January 5 in view of the prevailing severe cold wave conditions. The decision applies to all educational institutions, from primary classes to Class 12, including government schools and those affiliated with CBSE, ICSE, UP Board and other boards.
The directive was issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday as large parts of the state continue to grapple with intense winter conditions, dense fog and sharply falling temperatures.
Along with the school closures, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed district officials to remain on high alert and ensure the safety of vulnerable populations during the harsh winter. He directed authorities to conduct field inspections, distribute blankets to the needy, prevent people from sleeping in the open, and ensure full preparedness at night shelters.
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Officials have also been asked to strengthen relief measures during night hours, when cold stress is most severe, and to closely monitor areas with high exposure to winter-related risks.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), large parts of Uttar Pradesh are experiencing intense cold wave conditions, accompanied by dense to very dense fog, significantly disrupting daily life. The IMD has forecast that foggy conditions are likely to persist over both west and east Uttar Pradesh during night and early morning hours till January 5.
On January 2, 3 and 4, isolated areas are expected to witness very dense fog, leading to poor visibility and impacting road, rail and air traffic. The weather department warned that visibility may remain low in some pockets even beyond January 5.
Fog conditions have already turned severe in multiple districts. Visibility dropped to near zero in parts of east Uttar Pradesh, including Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Prayagraj, Kanpur and Azamgarh. Several districts in west Uttar Pradesh, such as Agra, Hamirpur, Moradabad and Jhansi, also reported extremely low visibility levels.
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Major cities including Lucknow, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Ghazipur recorded visibility as low as 50 metres, according to an IMD bulletin.
Minimum temperatures across both eastern and western Uttar Pradesh have fallen sharply, dipping more than 5 degrees Celsius below seasonal averages at isolated locations. The IMD noted that these conditions are leading to prolonged cold stress, particularly during early morning and night-time hours.
Meanwhile, winter vacations are also underway in neighbouring states, with Delhi schools closed from January 1 to 15, Punjab from December 22 to January 10, and Haryana from January 1 to 15.
