Chandigarh, Dec 22 (IANS) Cold weather and thick fog affected normal life in most parts of Punjab and Haryana Monday.

Officials said the fog hit air, rail and road traffic in the region.

But there was some relief during the day as parts of Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana saw mild sunshine for a couple of hours.

Karnal in Haryana was the coldest place in the state, recording a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal.

Hisar recorded 5.6 degrees and Narnaul 4 degrees. Ambala also experienced a cold night at 5.8 degrees Celsius, officials said.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 5.4 degrees Celsius.

According to the meteorological department, cloudy weather is expected in most parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh Tuesday.

The weather department has predicted dense fog in most of Punjab and Haryana over the next 48 hours. The weather shall remain dry and a fall in night temperatures is predicted during this period.