Chandigarh: A sharp dip in temperatures kept large parts of Punjab and Haryana in the grip of severe winter conditions on Sunday, with Hisar emerging as the coldest location across both states. The mercury in the Haryana town dropped to 2.5 degrees Celsius, making it the chilliest spot of the day.
Other regions in Haryana also experienced biting cold, though temperatures varied. Ambala reported a minimum of 8.5 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the seasonal average. Narnaul saw the temperature fall to 5 degrees, while Rohtak and Bhiwani recorded minimum readings of 5.8 degrees and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Dense fog was observed across several districts in the early hours, significantly affecting visibility and adding to the discomfort caused by the cold wave.
Chandigarh, which serves as the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, also witnessed a chilly morning with the minimum temperature settling at 5.6 degrees Celsius, marginally below normal for this time of year.
In Punjab, Faridkot registered the lowest temperature in the state at 3.4 degrees Celsius. Major cities such as Amritsar and Ludhiana experienced minimum temperatures of 4.4 degrees Celsius each. Patiala recorded a low of 4.6 degrees, while Bathinda and Gurdaspur saw temperatures dip to 6 degrees and 4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Weather officials indicated that cold conditions are likely to persist, with foggy mornings expected to continue in parts of the region over the next few days.