People sit next to a makeshift fire to keep the cold at bay
The ongoing cold wave intensified in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh today with mercury plummeting to up to four notches below normal even as dense fog continued to play havoc with normal life in the region.
The minimum temperatures in most parts of Punjab and Haryana hovered between one to four degrees Celsius below normal, the MeT office said in Chandigarh.
Besides, a thick blanket of fog in the morning continued to disrupt normal life in the region, officials said.
In view of dense fog coupled with low visibility the train and road traffic in the region was adversely affected.
In the plains of Punjab and Haryana, Amritsar was the coldest with a low of 0.4 degrees Celsius, which was three notches below normal.
The minimum temperature at Hisar was 0.7 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal, while Narnaul reeled under a low of 2.1 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.
Among other places, Karnal braved a low of 3.4 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal, followed by 3.8 degrees Celsius at Bhiwani, 4.4 degrees Celsius at Chandigarh, one notch below normal, five degrees Celsius at Ludhiana, one notch below normal, 5.3 degrees Celsius at Patiala, also one notch below normal, and 5.4 degrees Celsius at Ambala, one notch below normal.
The most effected parts of Punjab and Haryana due to dense fog included Amritsar, Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, Bhiwani, Ludhiana and Patiala, the MeT office said.
The MeT office predicted dry weather in the region with low temperatures in night and foggy conditions in the morning.