Amritsar reels 1.1 degrees Celsius as cold wave grips Punjab, Haryana

Ongoing cold wave conditions sweeping Punjab and Haryana continued unabated on Monday, with Amritsar reeling at 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Amritsar and Halwara recorded identical minimum temperatures as the minimum in both states settled below normal limits, a Meteorological (Met) Department official said here.

A thick blanket of fog reduced visibility at several places in the two states, including Ludhiana, Patiala, Adampur, Amritsar, Halwara, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Ambala.

Adampur recorded a minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius, while that in Bathinda was 3.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Ludhiana experienced a drop in night temperature at 2.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Pathankot at 3 degrees Celsius, Gurdaspur at 3.8 degrees Celsius, Faridkot at 4 degrees Celsius and Patiala at 5 degrees Celsius, he said.

In Haryana, Karnal was the coldest place at 3.4 degrees Celsius, while Ambala and Hisar recorded respective minimums of 3.8 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees Celsius.

Rohtak (5.4 degrees Celsius), Bhiwani (6.2 degrees Celsius) and Sirsa (5.2 degrees Celsius) also recorded below normal minimum temperatures.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 5.4 degrees Celsius.

The cold wave is likely to continue in Haryana and Punjab over the next few days, the weatherman said.