After the weather in Punjab and Haryana relented for a few days, the minimum temperature in most parts of the region today plummeted by up to three degrees Celsius, throwing normal life out of gear.

The Met office said the minimum temperature, which had risen to around five degrees Celsius in the past few days, hovered between one to three degrees Celsius below normal.

Amritsar was the coldest in the plains of Punjab and Haryana, with a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius, which was three notches below normal. Ludhiana and Bhiwani braved an identical low of 3.6 degrees Celsius, two notches each below normal.

While Hisar settled at a low of 4.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal, the minimum temperature at Chandigarh was 4.7 degrees Celsius, one notch below normal.

Meanwhile, foggy conditions returned to the region as dense fog threw normal life out of gear at several places, including Rohtak, Karnal, Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar. The Met department forecasts dry weather in the region during the next two days.