Temperatures plummet further in Punjab, Haryana

Cold wave intensified in Punjab and Haryana on Thursday as the minimum and maximum temperatures further plummeted in the two states.

Narnaul in Haryana was colder as the minimum dropped to 2.5 degrees Celsius. Hisar was also chilling with a minimum of 3.3 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department weather report said. The minimum temperature also dropped in Rohtak (3.4) Karnal (6), Bhiwani (4.8), Sirsa (4.3) and Ambala (5.3).

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Bathinda in Punjab was the coldest place recording a low of 4 deg C. Faridkot (4.5), Ludhiana (6.6), Patiala (6.4), Halwara (5.8), Adampur (6.8), Pathankot (6.4) and Amritsar (6.5) too experienced a cold night.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 6.5 degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, the maximum temperature in Chandigarh dropped to 9 degrees Celsius, which was twelve notches below normal.

"Yesterday's maximum here broke the 19-year-old record when the day temperature in December had settled at 9.2 degrees Celsius,” Chandigarh's MeT Department Director Surinder Paul told PTI.

Even Manali (10.6) and Shimla (12.3) on Wednesday recorded slightly higher day temperature compared to Chandigarh and many other places in the plains including Ambala (9.5), Karnal (9) and Amritsar (9.8). Paul said severe cold wave and foggy weather conditions will continue to prevail in the two states including Chandigarh over the next three days.

"Dense fog is likely to engulf the plains of the region around December 28. However, visibility should improve around December 31, but cold wave conditions will continue to prevail,” he said. 

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