The mercury slid to sub-zero level in the region on Friday with Narnaul in Haryana shivering at the minimum temperature of - 0.5 degree Celsius, six degrees below normal.
The cold wave continued to tighten its grip across the region as the temperature levels plunged below normal levels on Friday. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 4.5 degree Celsius and maximum temperature of 18.4 degree Celsius, three notches below normal. A day before, the city had recorded minimum temperature of 5.6 degree Celsius.
The Met Department has forecast that the temperature levels would continue to plunge at night in next 48 hours in many parts of Punjab and Haryana. The Met Department has also predicted that fog would occur in the morning and at night in several parts of the region. “The days would be mainly sunny in Haryana and Punjab in next 24 hours,” predicted Met Department.
In Punjab, the holy city-Amritsar recorded minimum temperature of 1.6 degree Celsius, one degree below normal, ludhiana recorded 4.3 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal and Patiala settled at minimum temperature of 4.5 degree Celsius, one degree below normal. The maximum temperature recorded in Amritsar was 18.8 degree Celsius, ludhiana 19.8 degree Celsius and Patiala 19.6 degree Celsius.
In Haryana, districts namely Ambala, Bhiwani, Hissar and Karnal recorded respective minimum temperatures of 5.8 degree Celsius, 1.2 degree Celsius, 2.0 degree Celsius and 2.4 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal. Ambala settled at maximum temperature of 17.5 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal while Hissar recorded maximum temperature of 18.6 degree Celsius.
Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla recorded minimum temperature of 5.6 degree Celsius and maximum temperature settled at 18.1 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature in Bhuntar was recorded at - 1.0 degree Celsius, Nahan 4.9 degree Celsius, Solan 0.2 degree Celsius, Sundernagar - 0.8 degree Celsius, Kangra 2.3 degree Celsius and Dharamshala 5.8 degree Celsius.