Cold wave, fog affect life in Punjab, Haryana; 1 dead

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (IANS) Cold wave conditions and fog continued to affect normal life in several places across Punjab and Haryana on Friday with the maximum temperature in the day dropping by six to nine degrees Celsius compared to normal. One death was reported due to the cold.

Chandigarh recorded a high of 13 degrees, nine degrees below normal, making it even colder than the hill station of Shimla which recorded a maximum temperature of 13.9 degrees.

With snowfall at some places in the higher reaches of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh in the past three-four days, icy winds swept the region, forcing people to take precautions against the cold wave conditions.

In Haryana, Bhiwani, Karnal and Ambala recorded highs of 14.8, 15 and 15.1 degrees respectively, seven degrees below normal.

Officials said that one unidentified person, said to be a beggar, was found dead near a temple in Ambala city. He is believed to have died due to the cold.

The minimum temperate in Haryana's Narnaul town was recorded at 4 degrees while Hisar saw a low of 4.9 degrees.

In Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala cities recorded maximum temperature of 15.1 degrees each while Amritsar saw a high of 15.8 degrees. The minimum temperature in Amritsar was 5.7 degrees.

Fog affected life in several parts of Punjab and Haryana. Flights were affected at the Chandigarh and Amritsar airports.

Some trains were cancelled while others were delayed owing to fog in the region. Traffic on highways and other roads was also affected due to thick fog in some areas.