MEERUT, Dec. 28 -- The Bareilly district administration on Saturday announced a two-day school closure for younger students as a severe cold wave and dense fog continued to disrupt normal life across the district. On the instructions of district magistrate Avinash Singh, basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Dr Vinita issued an order announcing holidays on December 29 and 30 for all Board-affiliated, council-run, secondary, government and aided schools from classes 1 to 8. According to the order, students from classes 1 to 8 will remain off school on both days. However, teachers and staff will be required to attend their respective schools for administrative and departmental work. Teachers have been instructed to be present from 10am to 3pm. Bareilly witnessed dense fog early Saturday morning, with visibility remaining extremely poor between 5am and 7am. Thick fog blanketed highways, streets and residential areas alike, disrupting normal movement. Cold winds aggravated the situation, leading to severe cold-day conditions throughout the day. The meteorological department issued a red alert for dense fog in the district on Sunday, followed by an orange alert for the next three days, indicating the likelihood of continued adverse weather conditions. In the past few days, the district had experienced a slight easing of cold along with a marginal rise in temperatures. On Friday afternoon, brief sunshine brought some relief, with people seen sitting in parks and on rooftops. However, the respite was short-lived as temperatures dropped again by evening. Fog began settling in the outer areas of the district from around 10pm. and gradually spread across the city late into the night. Saturday morning once again began under a thick blanket of fog, and the sun failed to appear throughout the day. According to the meteorological department, cold winds blowing in from the hills are likely to further intensify the cold in the coming days, although the weather is expected to remain dry. Between Tuesday and Friday, the city's maximum temperature fluctuated by about 1.5 degrees Celsius. On Friday, Bareilly recorded a maximum temperature of 18.3 degrees and a minimum of 9.4 degrees. On Saturday, the minimum temperature dipped slightly to 9.2 degrees. With fog alerts in place and cold conditions expected to persist, the administration has urged residents to remain cautious, particularly during early morning and late-night hours....