Cold conditions further aggravated in Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital Chandigarh with temperature level plunging upto six notches below normal in some parts of the region.
Dense fog on Wednesday morning in the two states also threw normal life out of gear, adversely affecting the rail, road and air traffic.
Haryana’s Hisar was the coldest in the region settling at minimum temperature of 0.7 degree Celsius, six notches below normal. The union territory of Chandigarh recorded a low of 4.4 degree Celsius, which was two notches below normal.
According to the Met Department, the temperature levels witnessed a sharp decline in the region in last 24 hours and both maximum and minimum temperature levels were recorded below normal in parts of the region.
The other places in Haryana which shivered under severe cold included Karnal, where the minimum temperature dropped to 2 degrees Celsius, down five notches from normal limits, while Narnaul registered a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal. Ambala also witnessed a cold night at 5.3 degrees Celsius, down by one degree from normal level.
The residents of Punjab’s holy city, Amritsar shivered at 4.8 degrees Celsius while ludhiana also recorded an identical temperature. Patiala settled at minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, down three notches against normal.
The maximum temperature also dropped considerably below normal levels as the icy winds swept the region. The maximum temperature recorded was 16.9 degree Celsius in Chandigarh, four notches from normal.
Among other places, Amritsar saw maximum of 13.8 degree Celsius, four degrees down the normal, Ambala settled at maximum temperature of 16.7 degree Celsius, Narnaul recorded 16 degrees, Karnal 16.4 degree Celsius, Hisar 18.8 degree Celsius, ludhiana recorded 14.7 degree Celsius and Patiala also settled at 15.6 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, the residents across the two states woke up to a thick blanket of fog on Wednesday morning, which considerably reduced visibility levels.
The movement of rail and air traffic in the region was also affected, while the motorists driving on the roads, including on the highways, had to put their vehicles’ headlights on in the morning and move at a slow pace.
The Met Department has forecast dense to very dense fog at isolated places during next 36 hours in Haryana and Punjab. Ground frost is predicted at few places in the two states in next two days.