Chandigarh: Severe cold wave swept most places in Haryana and Punjab today, even as a thick blanket of fog affected normal life.  

While the minimum temperature hovered between 5-7 degrees Celsius at most places, the day temperature, too, plummeted sharply.  

Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place in the two states recording a minimum of 2.5 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department official said here.  

Hisar at 5.6 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 5.8 degrees Celsius, Karnal at 7 degrees Celsius, Rohtak at 7.7 degrees Celsius and Ambala at 8 degrees Celsius also experienced a cold night.  

Chandigarh registered a low of 7 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Amritsar, Halwara and Bathinda recorded identical minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius each.   Ludhiana recorded a low of 6.7 degrees Celsius while Patiala's minimum settled at 7 degrees Celsius.  

Pathankot registered a minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees Celsius, while Faridkot's minimum settled at 6.5 degrees Celsius Gurdaspur, too, reeled under biting chill at a low of 5 degrees Celsius.  

The maximum temperature has dropped sharly in the two states, including Chandigarh, during the past three days. Karnal in Haryana yesterday shivered recording maximum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, which was eight notches below normal limit.  

The maximum temperature at other places including Ambala, Chandigarh, Hisar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala hovered in the range of 12 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius.  

Meanwhile, dense fog continued to affect rail, road and air traffic in the region. A MeT official here said that visibility levels dropped below 50 m at many places in the two states while Chandigarh too was engulfed by thick fog early today. PTI