Just when residents were expecting an improvement in weather conditions, severe winter-like chill continued to grip Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, with dense fog and low temperatures disrupting daily life on Tuesday.Cold weather prevailed across several parts of Punjab and Haryana, with Bathinda emerging as the coldest place in Punjab, recording a biting minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department.The intense cold, coupled with heavy fog, caught many by surprise, especially as schools resumed normal timings. On the first day of regular schedules, children were seen heading to schools amid thick fog and poor visibility.Ferozepur was the second coldest in Punjab, logging a minimum temperature of 4.1 degrees Celsius. Faridkot recorded 6 degrees Celsius, while Amritsar registered 7.7 degrees. Patiala and Hoshiarpur recorded minimum temperatures of 8.8 and 8.4 degrees Celsius respectively.Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, witnessed fog during the morning hours. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius.In Haryana, Hisar was the coldest location with a minimum temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius. Bhiwani recorded 6 degrees, Narnaul 7.5 degrees, Ambala 9.3 degrees, Karnal 9.1 degrees, Rohtak 8.8 degrees and Gurugram 8.7 degrees Celsius. Faridabad recorded a minimum temperature of 10.3 degrees Celsius.Meanwhile, a dense blanket of fog enveloped the national capital, Delhi, sharply reducing visibility and slowing traffic across several areas. Visibility dropped to as low as 100 metres at Palam and Safdarjung, the weather office said.Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius, slightly above the normal for this time of the year. Safdarjung also logged 9.4 degrees Celsius, while Palam recorded 8.6 degrees. Lodhi Road registered 9.6 degrees Celsius, about two notches above the seasonal average. The Ridge station recorded 11 degrees Celsius, and Ayanagar reported 10.3 degrees Celsius.The capital’s air quality remained a concern, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) clocked at 256 at 9 am, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality at 19 stations was in the ‘poor’ category, 10 in ‘very poor’ and 10 in ‘moderate’.