Cold wave conditions continued across Punjab and Haryana on Monday with some places recording near freezing temperatures.
Narnaul in Haryana and Adampur in Punjab recorded minimum temperatures of 0.5 degrees and 0.7 degrees Celsius respectively.
The cold wave has intensified in the two states during the past two days with minimum temperature hovering in the range of 0.5 degrees to 4 degrees Celsius at most places.
Piercing cold swept Haryana’s Hisar, which recorded a low of 3 degrees Celsius, down four notches against normal limit. Among other places in the state, Karnal settled at minimum temperature of 3.4 degree Celsius, Sirsa recorded 3.7 degrees, Bhiwani saw a low of 4.5 degrees, Rohtak 4.8 degrees and Ambala experienced a cold night at 5.6 degree Celsius.
In Punjab, the Sikh holy city Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees while the industrial hub ludhiana saw a low of 5.7 degrees. Bathinda (3.6 C), Halwara (4.6 C), Pathankot (3.6 C), Gurdaspur (3.7 C), Faridkot (3.6 C), and Patiala (6.7 C) were among other places in Punjab which reeled under biting cold as minimum temperature hovered below normal limit. Chandigarh, joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, too, experienced a cold night at 4.7 degrees Celsius, one notch below normal limit.
A Met official said that barring Hisar and Ambala, fog had lifted from most other places in the two states. The Met Department has forecast severe cold conditions in parts of Punjab and Haryana in next 48 hours.
Meanwhile, large parts of neighboring Himachal Pradesh also reeled under severe cold conditions, with the minimum temperature at several places plunging below freezing point.
Popular tourist destination Manali, recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees, down by four notches from normal.
Kalpa saw a minimum of minus 4 degrees while it was minus 1.1 degrees in Bhuntar. State capital Shimla recorded 3.5 degrees, Solan minus 0.1 degrees, Sundernagar saw minus 1.2, Kangra 2.4 degrees and Una recorded 2.5 degree Celsius.