Chandigarh, Jan 20 (IANS): Dense fog on Monday engulfed most of parts of Punjab and Haryana, affecting rail and road traffic, as minimum temperatures remained below normal in many areas.

Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest in both states as it saw a minimum of 4 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal, a Met Department official told IANS here.

Hisar, Karnal and Ambala also witnessed the drop in mercury by registering minimum temperatures at 6.5, 8 and 7.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Chandigarh registered the minimum temperature at 5.9 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab, Amritsar's minimum was 7.4 degrees Celsius, while in Ludhiana, Patiala and Faridkot it was 6.9, 8.1 and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A thick blanket of fog which engulfed most parts of both states hampered air, rail and road traffic in the region because of poor visibility.

The weatherman predicted moderate to dense fog likely at many places of Punjab and Haryana till Wednesday.