Chandigarh: Cold weather continued to tighten its grip over Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, with night temperatures plunging well below seasonal averages across the region. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8°C on Wednesday, around three degrees lower than normal, extending the ongoing cold spell.
According to the Meteorological Department, Haryana experienced particularly harsh conditions, with Hisar emerging as one of the coldest places in the state. The district recorded a chilling 0.5°C overnight, nearly six degrees below the usual mark for this time of year. Other parts of Haryana also witnessed sharp drops in mercury levels, with Narnaul registering 1°C and Bhiwani close behind at 1.2°C.
Urban centres did not escape the cold either. Gurugram reported a minimum temperature of 3.5°C, while Faridabad dipped to 4.3°C. Karnal and Rohtak recorded similar lows at 3.6°C each, and Ambala settled at 4.9°C. Most of these readings were between four and five degrees below normal, indicating a widespread cold wave across the state.
Punjab, too, remained under the influence of biting cold winds. Bathinda recorded a low of 3.2°C, while Faridkot saw temperatures fall to around 3.5°C. Amritsar experienced a minimum of 4.3°C, Ludhiana 5.4°C, Patiala 4.4°C, Hoshiarpur 5.6°C and Mansa 5.4°C. In several districts, temperatures hovered up to four degrees below average.
Adding to the discomfort, dense fog was reported in many areas of both Punjab and Haryana during the early morning hours, reducing visibility and affecting traffic movement on highways and city roads.
Chandigarh had witnessed its coldest night of the season just a day earlier, when the temperature dropped further to 2.8°C. Weather officials indicated that cold conditions are likely to persist over the coming days, urging residents to take precautions, especially during early mornings and late nights.
