Chandigarh, Jan 14: The regional cold wave intensified on Wednesday as temperatures across Haryana and Punjab dropped significantly below seasonal averages. Hisar emerged as the coldest pocket in the plains, with the meteorological department recording a minimum temperature of 0.5 degrees Celsius, a sharp six-degree departure from the normal range.
Morning commuters faced additional hurdles as a thick blanket of fog enveloped several districts, drastically reducing visibility during the early hours. Residents in the joint capital of Chandigarh also dealt with the biting chill, where the mercury settled at 3.8 degrees Celsius. This follows Tuesday’s record-breaking low of 2.8 degrees Celsius, which marked the coldest night for the city so far this season.
“There was no let-up in cold conditions in Haryana,” a representative from the meteorological department noted while detailing the sub-zero trends seen in various districts. The official added that many parts of the state and neighboring Punjab continued to experience fog during the morning hours.
The bone-chilling conditions were widespread throughout Haryana, with Narnaul and Bhiwani reporting lows of 1 degree Celsius and 1.2 degrees Celsius. Other major towns including Gurugram and Karnal also saw the mercury hover between 3.5 and 3.6 degrees Celsius, reflecting a regional trend of temperatures falling up to five degrees below the expected norms for mid-January.
