With dense fog engulfing the region, biting cold conditions persisted in many parts of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday.
Punjab’s ludhiana district was the coldest in the region settling at minimum temperature of 2.3 degree Celsius, down by four notches from normal. Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana recorded minimum temperature at 4.9 degree Celsius. According to the Met Department, maximum temperature levels settled upto nine below normal while minimum temperatures were recorded upto four degrees below normal in some parts of region on Thursday.Chandigarh recorded maximum temperature at 15.8 degree Celsius, four notches down from normal.
A Met official said, the temperature levels witnessed a sharp decline in parts of the region in last 24 hours. A thick blanket of fog that engulfed almost the entire region reduced visibility and affected normal life at many places. Several flights were cancelled while some were behind schedule by more than two hours. Among trains, Shatabdi running between New Delhi and Kalka via Chandigarh was late by more than an hour, while long distance train from lucknow to Chandigarh was behind schedule by over 5 hours. The local Met Department has forecast mainly sunny conditions in Haryana and Punjab in next 24 hours.