The sun was out for the second consecutive day on Friday in Tricity, bringing much-needed relief to residents after days of harsh cold and dense fog, as Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula witnessed a sharp rise in temperatures.

Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 19.5°C, a jump of nearly six degrees from the previous day, going 1.3 degrees above normal. The minimum temperature also rose marginally by 0.8 degree to settle at 5.3°C, though it continued to remain 2.1 degrees below normal.

The bright sunshine encouraged people to step out and soak in the warmth after dense to very dense fog had blanketed the region from Thursday evening till Friday noon, when the sun finally broke through the thick cover. However, fog, along with mist, haze and ground frost, continued to maintain cold to severe cold wave conditions across the region, especially during night and early morning hours.

Despite the improvement, Tricity remained colder than several hill stations. Shimla recorded a maximum of 20°C and a minimum of 10.5°C, making its night temperature more than double that of Chandigarh. Kufri also remained warmer at night with a minimum of 8.5°C. However, for the first time in many days this winter, Chandigarh turned warmer than Manali and Srinagar, which recorded maximum temperatures of 15 and 9°C and minimum temperatures of 2.6 and minus 1.5°C, respectively.

Fog continued to severely disrupt road, rail and air traffic across the region. Chandigarh recorded the third highest maximum temperature in Punjab and Haryana on Friday, after Mansa at 20.9°C and Sirsa at 20.3°C.

According to the India Meteorological Department, weather remained dry over Punjab and Haryana during the last 24 hours, with dense to very dense fog reported at most places and cold to severe cold wave conditions prevailing at several locations. Relative humidity levels in Chandigarh remained high, with maximum humidity touching 97 per cent and minimum around 52 per cent.

With the return of sunshine, only a yellow alert for dense fog at isolated places will prevail over the next five days till Wednesday. Scattered rainfall is likely on January 19 and again on January 22. Over the next few days, maximum temperatures in Tricity are expected to hover between 16 and 18°C, while minimum temperatures may range from 9 to 10°C.

Across the wider region, the highest maximum temperature on Friday was recorded at Mansa at 20.9°C, while the lowest minimum temperature was reported from Ballowal Saunkhri in Nawanshahr at 0.9°C.