The cold conditions and cloudy sky left the residents shivering throughout the day on Friday with temperature levels plunging up to five notches below normal in some parts of Punjab and Haryana.
Punjab’s industrial city, ludhiana was the coldest in the region, braving the cold conditions at minimum temperature of 6.6 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal.
Chandigarh, joint capital of Punjab and Haryana recorded minimum temperature at 9.8 degree Celsius, down by two notches from normal. Narnaul in Haryana braved the chill at minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees Celsius, five degrees down from normal.
Among other places, holy city- Amritsar settled at a low of 7.6 degrees Celsius, Ambala in Haryana witnessed minimum temperature of 11.5 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 9 degrees, Hisar 8 degrees, Karnal 8 degrees Celsius and Patiala recorded 9.5 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature recorded 26.5 degrees Celsius in Chandigarh, 26.8 degrees in Amritsar, 27.5 degrees Celsius in ludhiana, 27.4 degrees in Patiala, 26 degrees in Ambala, 27.2 degrees in Bhiwani and 27.6 degrees in Hisar.
The MeT Department has forecast mist or haze in morning in parts of Punjab and Haryana in next 24 hours while days would be mainly sunny. A MeT official said, “The temperature levels witnessed sharp decline in many parts of the region in last 24 hours with temperature levels hovering two to five degrees below normal levels.”
In neighbouring hilly State Himachal, Shimla recorded a minimum temperature at 8.6 degrees Celsius and maximum at 19.6 degrees. Among other places, Manali settled at a low temperature of 1 degrees Celsius.