Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place in the region with the minimum temperature slipping below the freezing point on Thursday.

Most of the places in Punjab and Haryana experienced a piercing cold, recording sub-zero temperatures, affecting normal life, a weather official said here.

Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, while the maximum settled at 17.3 degrees.

In Haryana, Narnaul (minus 0.5), Karnal (2.6), Ambala (5.0) and Hisar (2.4) were in the grip of a sweeping cold wave.

Dense fog prevailed in Punjab, with visibility reduced to less than 50 metres at various places in the morning.

In Ludhiana and Patiala, the minimum temperatures were recorded at 1.7 and 3.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Amritsar was the coldest city in Punjab with a low of 0.8 degree Celsius.

According to the Met office, the intense cold and foggy conditions will continue until Saturday.