Delhi continues to shiver as it recorded the lowest temperature of this winter season so far on Thursday with minimum dipping to 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Some parts of the city observed cold wave conditions, including Ayanagar and Pusa, where temperatures dropped to 3.8 and 3.2 degrees Celsius respectively.
The India Meteorological Department activated a yellow alert for a cold wave in the city on Thursday.
According to IMD, cold wave conditions occur when actual temperatures fall below 4.1 degrees Celsius or when the departure from normal is 4.4 degrees Celsius or more below average.
On Wednesday, the city recorded a minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius. For the first time in 14 years, the national capital has recorded minimum temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius in early December, the weather department said.
The lowest minimum temperature during this period was recorded on December 6, 1987, at 4.1 degrees Celsius, as per the data.
The maximum temperature is likely to settle at 23 degrees Celsius on Thursday while the sky is expected to remain clear, according to the weather department. The city's air quality was recorded in the poor category with an Air Quality Index of 262 at 9 AM, compared to the moderate category on Wednesday, when the 24-hour average AQI was 199.
The rest of north India also grappled with chilling winters as the weather department sounded a yellow alert for coldwave and ground frost in East Uttar Pradesh and West Uttar Pradesh with slight change till December 15.
A yellow alert for a cold wave has also been issued by the IMD for the next four days in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab. Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh are expected to witness a cold wave for four days starting from Friday.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for a cold wave for Thursday and Friday in East and West Rajasthan as well.