Biting cold sweeps Punjab, Haryana; day temperature plunges to around 9 degrees C at several places

Chandigarh: The ongoing cold weather conditions intensified in Haryana and Punjab on Sunday, with maximum temperatures plunging up to nine notches below normal at several places.

Moderate to dense fog was also reported in the morning from most places in the two states.

According to the Met office, the minimum temperatures, too, hovered below normal at many places.

During the day, freezing cold swept Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which recorded a maximum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, nine notches below normal.

The minimum temperature in Chandigarh settled at 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh's adjoining towns -- Mohali in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana -- also reeled under piercing cold. While Mohali recorded a maximum of 9.5 degrees Celsius, Panchkula registered a high of 9.6 degrees.

Hisar in Haryana, which recorded a minimum of 2.8 degrees Celsius, was also swept by severe cold during the day with maximum temperature settling at 11 degrees Celsius, nine notches below normal.

Haryana's other cities including Ambala, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sirsa, and Jhajjar were also swept by intense cold during the day, with maximum temperatures settling at 10.3 degrees Celsius, 11.4, 11.5, 11 and 12.1 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In Punjab, piercing cold prevailed in Amritsar, with maximum temperature settling at 9.5 deg C, down eight notches against normal limits.

Patiala was also under the grip of severe cold, recording a maximum of 10.7 deg C, Ludhiana recorded a high of 12.4 deg C, Pathankot 11.2, Ferozepur 10.1, while Faridkot recorded a maximum of 10.5 degrees Celsius.

Earlier, during the night, biting cold also swept Faridabad, which recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Bhiwani was recorded at 3.9 degrees Celsius, Jhajjar at 4.1 degrees and Fatehabad, Gurugram and Rohtak at 4.6 degrees each.

During the night, Punjab's Patiala reeled under the biting cold as the minimum temperature plummeted to five degrees Celsius while in Gurdaspur it was at 5.5 degrees.

Met officials said moderate to dense fog reduced visibility in the morning at most places in Punjab and Haryana.