New Delhi: On the account of severe cold conditions in the national capital region (NCR), the administration has announced that all schools and colleges in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts will remain closed on Thursday and Friday. District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, Brajesh Narayan Singh announced on Twitter that "Schools in up to class 12th in Gautam Buddha Nagar shall be closed on 19th and 20th Dec due to extreme cold weather."

Separate orders to this effect were issued by the administrations of the two adjoining districts on Wednesday evening. The Delhi NCR region has been experiencing extreme cold conditions. Delhi has witnessed the lowest maximum temperatures recorded in the last 17 years, according to Skymet Weather.

Before this, it was on December 31, 2002 when the national capital had recorded the lowest day maximum to the tune of 11.2 degree Celsius, IANS reported.

"All government and private schools across Noida and Greater Noida have been directed to remain shut over the next two days due to cold weather," Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate (DM) B N Singh told new agency PTI.

Ghaziabad DM Ajay Shankar Pandey said, "Classes from nursery to 12th will remain closed due to cold wave conditions." For the last two consecutive days, maximum temperatures have been hovering around 12 degrees Celsius mark, leading to severe cold conditions. These conditions are declared when day's maximum in plains settle below 16 degrees Celsius.

After braving extremely cold weather conditions for the last two consecutive days, Delhi on Wednesday finally breathed a huge sigh of relief. According to Skymet Weather, the suspended fog in the atmosphere has now started dispersing. This has paved way for sunshine, which in turn led to an increase in maximum temperatures.

The cold day conditions have dissipated for the time being and in the afternoon on Wednesday, the temperature had climbed to 15 degrees Celsius at Safdarung Observatory.

Afternoons are expected to be comfortable for the next two days and day maximum temperatures would start increasing gradually but would continue to settle below the average temperatures.

(With inputs from agencies)