Amritsar/ Kanpur/ Shimla, Jan 2 (ANI): Large swathes of north India bore the brunt of cold wave and icy winds as temperature in several parts of the region breached the sub zero level, with hill-town of Shimla and Punjab witnessing coldest nights. Cold waves swept parts of northern region with minimum temperatures hovering around several notches below normal even as fog reduced visibility in the morning at some places.