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Schools up to Class 8 across Gautam Buddh Nagar will remain closed on Friday and Saturday due to dense fog and extreme cold, the district administration said on Friday. The order, issued by Basic Education Officer Rahul Panwar, said the decision was taken in compliance with the directions of the district magistrate in view of prevailing weather conditions. "All schools from Nursery to Class 8 affiliated with CBSE, ICSE, IB, UP Board and other boards operating in Gautam Buddh Nagar district shall remain closed on January 16 and 17," the order said, adding that it must be strictly followed. The basic education officer warned that action would be taken as per rules against any school found violating the order and reopening during the closure period. Earlier, the district education department had extended the winter break for schools in the district till January 15 amid the cold wave conditions.
The winter tightened its hold across North India on Tuesday with snowfall in hilly states and lowering temperatures across northern India, including the national capital which recorded its first cold day of the year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted more light rainfall or snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It noted that minimum temperatures were below 0 degree Celsius at many places in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, between 0 and 5 degrees at a few places in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and between 5 and 10 degrees at many places in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In the national capital, the IMD said cold day conditions were likely on Wednesday as well, adding that maximum temperatures were observed in the range of 13 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius in Delhi. According to the IMD, cold day conditions are declared when the maximum temperature remains 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius below
After a few days of respite, the cold returned to Kashmir as the minimum temperatures dropped in the valley and settled below the freezing point at most places, officials said on Saturday. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius on Friday night, down from the previous night's 0.1 degrees Celsius, they said. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir remained the coldest spot, with the mercury dipping to minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, while the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, saw the mercury settling at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. The region is currently in the midst of 'Chilla-e-Kalan', the 40-day period of extreme cold, during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point. However, curren