Punjab and Haryana under cold grip; dense fog disrupts normal life

Chandigarh, January 18 : Punjab and Haryana remained under the cold grip, with Hisar shivering at 0.7 degrees Celsius, even as dense fog in the two states threw normal life out of gear, adversely affecting the rail, road and air traffic.
The minimum temperature in Hisar in Haryana was recorded at 0.7 degree Celsius, six notches below normal, a MeT Department official said here.
The other places in Haryana which shivered under severe cold included Karnal, where the minimum dropped to 2 degrees C, down five notches against normal limits, while Narnaul registered a low of 3.5 degrees C, down two notches.
Ambala, too, had a cold night at 5.3 degrees C, down two degrees.
Chandigarh residents shivered at a low of 4.4 degrees C, down two notches against normal.
The residents of Amritsar in Punjab also shivered at 4.8 degrees C while Ludhiana recorded an identical temperature.Patiala’s minimum settled at 4 degrees C, down three notches against normal. Bathinda was even colder at 3 degrees C while Halwara reeled at a low of 3.1 degrees C.Minimum temperature at most places in the two states, including Chandigarh, had hovered above normal on Tuesday.However, the maximum temperature on Tuesday dropped considerably as the icy winds swept the region, settling in the range of 11-15 degrees Celsius.Meanwhile, the residents across the two states woke up to a thick blanket of fog on Wednesday morning, which considerably reduced visibility levels.