India, Jan. 2 -- Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday ordered the closure of all schools, from primary levels to Class 12 across all boards (ICSE, CBSE, UP and others), till January 5 in view of an intense cold wave.

He also instructed officials to stay on alert, carry out field inspections, distribute blankets, stop people from sleeping outdoors, and ensure full preparedness at night shelters.

Large parts of Uttar Pradesh are reeling under intense winter conditions, with dense to very dense fog and below-normal temperatures affecting daily life across the state, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD said dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to persist over both west and east Uttar P...