The school authorities have been asked to adhere to the order strictly, failing which action would be initiated against them as per the rule. Humidity levels have crossed 90 per cent, significantly narrowing the gap between maximum and minimum temperatures.

A red alert has been issued for 12 districts of north Bihar, warning of extremely dense fog and severe cold wave conditions. In addition, a yellow alert has been issued for 24 other districts, including Patna, cautioning residents about cold weather conditions. The State witnessed a sharp drop in both day and night temperatures, throwing normal life out of gear.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cold spell is expected to persist until December 22, with the possibility of a further decline in temperatures.

The districts largely hit include West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Vaishali, Samastipur, Siwan and Gopalganj.

In these districts, extremely dense fog is likely to disrupt road traffic both during the day and night hours.

“Travelling by road will be risky under such conditions,” said a police officer assigned to regular traffic in Muzaffarpur in north Bihar. He said an advisory has been issued for vehicle drivers.

A yellow alert has been issued for 24 districts, including Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea.

In Araria, two youths were killed in a head-on collision between a speeding car and a motorbike. The third person injured in the accident has been admitted to a local hospital.