Meerut, Dec. 18 -- The Bareilly administration has announced closure of schools upto Class 8 in view of dense fog and severe cold. The schools will remain closed till December 20. The decision was taken on the directions of district magistrate Avinash Singh, following which Basic Education Officer Dr Vinita issued the official order on Wednesday. According to the directive, all government and private schools up to Class 8 operating in the district will remain shut due to extreme cold and poor visibility caused by dense fog. The administration has warned that strict action will be taken against any institution found violating the order. However, the order clarifies that examinations already scheduled prior to the announcement will be conducted as planned, and the closure will not affect pre-decided exam schedules.Bareilly, along with surrounding areas, has been reeling under dense fog for the past two days. On Wednesday, fog persisted throughout the day, with no sunshine, while cold winds added to the biting chill. The situation worsened on Tuesday, which was recorded as the coldest day in the last 10 years, with the maximum temperature dropping sharply to 16.3 degrees Celsius. Visibility on Wednesday morning was extremely low, leading to slow-moving traffic as vehicles crawled along the roads, affecting daily commuters and disrupting normal life across the district. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for dense fog for the next three days. Weather officials have warned that dense fog is likely to continue in Bareilly and nearby regions, accompanied by cold winds blowing in from the hills....