Biting cold conditions continued to persist in Punjab and Haryana on Sunday with minimum temperatures hovering close to zero degree Celsius in some parts of the two States.

Bathinda in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 0.6 degrees Celsius while Halwara reeled at a low of 0.7 degrees Celsius.

A piercing cold also swept Sirsa in Haryana, which recorded a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius.

According to the Chandigarh Meteorological Department, cold wave conditions continued unabated in most other places in the two states with minimum temperatures settling well below normal limits.

Narnaul and Karnal in Haryana reeled under severe cold conditions, recording a low of 2.4 degrees Celsius and 2.7 degrees Celsius respectively. Among other places in the state, Rohtak settled at a low of three degrees Celsius, Hisar recorded 3.4 degrees Celsius, Ambala 4.4 degrees Celsius and Bhiwani also experienced a cold night at 5.1 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of four degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.

Adampur in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 1.3 degrees Celsius, Faridkot 2.9 degrees Celsius, Amritsar 3.2 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 3.5 degrees Celsius, Patiala 4.5 degrees Celsius and Pathankot 4.6 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, cold-wave conditions also persisted in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday as Keylong, Kalpa, and Manali shivered at sub-zero temperatures.Keylong continued to be the coldest place in the hill state at minus 11 degrees Celsius. Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of minus 2.8 and minus 1.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

The minimum temperatures in Dalhousie and Kufri settled at 3.2 and 2.1 degrees Celsius respectively. Shimla registered a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius. The Met Centre, Shimla has forecast rain and snowfall at isolated places in high hills of the state on February 3 and 4.