Varanasi district administration announces closure of schools for students of Class-1 to Class 8 till January 6 due to cold wave conditions. Dense fog envelops the city, resulting in poor visibility. Maximum temperature stands at 17.7 degree Celsius, minimum temperature at 12.5 degree Celsius. Weathermen predict fog/mist in the morning with a partly cloudy sky on January 1 and cloudy sky with light rain on January 2. India Meteorological Department issues red alert for dense fog in North India, warns of difficult driving conditions.