School Holidays: All Schools To Be Closed In This State Till Jan 5 Due To Severe Cold Wave

All schools across Uttar Pradesh, from pre-primary to Class 12 and covering ICSE, CBSE, UP and other boards, are ordered shut till January 5 because of the intense cold wave, with the state government moving into emergency mode for winter safety.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that a strong cold wave is gripping large parts of Uttar Pradesh, with dense to very dense fog and below-normal temperatures affecting normal routines, while transport services on roads, rail routes and air corridors face serious disruption.

Uttar Pradesh cold wave: School closure and government response

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed that teaching activities remain suspended up to Class 12 till January 5 across all school boards and formats, and told senior officials to treat the weather situation as a priority public safety issue for students and other vulnerable groups.

Yogi Adityanath also ordered district teams to stay on continuous alert, conduct field inspections, distribute blankets, stop people from sleeping in the open, and check that night shelters are fully prepared, with particular focus on those most exposed to harsh winter conditions.

Uttar Pradesh cold wave: Fog, visibility and IMD forecast

The IMD said dense to very dense fog is likely during night and early morning hours over both west and east Uttar Pradesh till January 5, adding that some isolated locations may continue to experience very poor visibility even after that period.

On January 2, 3 and 4, the IMD expects dense to very dense fog at isolated places in the state, warning that these conditions could badly hit driving conditions, train timings and flight schedules, and cause extended delays across key routes.

Several districts are already seeing severe fog. Visibility dropped to near zero at many spots in east Uttar Pradesh, including Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Prayagraj, Kanpur and Azamgarh, while Agra, Hamirpur, Moradabad and Jhansi in west Uttar Pradesh also reported extremely low visibility.

According to the IMD bulletin, cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Ghazipur recorded visibility levels of only around 50 metres, raising further concern for commuters and prompting officials to intensify monitoring of highways, busy crossings and other accident-prone stretches.

Uttar Pradesh cold wave: Temperature trends and health risk

Minimum temperatures across Uttar Pradesh have fallen well below normal for the season, with both east and west parts of the state showing departures of over 5 degrees Celsius below average at some locations, deepening the cold wave's impact on residents.

The IMD noted that these sharp temperature drops, combined with persistent fog, are creating prolonged cold stress during early morning and night hours, which is why authorities are focusing on shelters, warm clothing support and constant surveillance while schools remain closed till January 5.