The cold wave conditions continued in the national capital on Tuesday as the city recorded a maximum temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius, two points below the season’s average.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.3 degrees Celsius, while shallow fog was witnessed at several places across the city.

The MeT office has forecast shallow fog in the morning hours, with minimum and maximum temperatures to hover around 9 and 18 degrees Celsius respectively.

The presence of the predominant surface wind, though calm, but added to the biting cold making it hard for the people to remain warm, as homeless only had night shelters and sheds as a safe space, while they also took refuge besides bonfires.

According to an IMD forecast, “Severe to Very Severe Cold day is very likely at many pockets of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on Wednesday.

“Cold Day to Severe Cold Day conditions likely to continue over many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during next 3 days and decrease thereafter,” the weather department’s forecast added further.

The IMD had suggested the likelihood of the cold wave situation in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and extreme north- Rajasthan from January 5 to January 11, 2024.

Meanwhile, due to the fog conditions across the NCR and the northern region, reportedly in Delhi, there were more than 20 trains that were delayed.

City’s average Air Quality Index (AQI) witnessed a slight improvement compared to the past couple of days, and was recorded at 340 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB).

However, the AQI continued to remain in the ‘very poor’ category, as per CPCB data.

“The air quality is likely to remain in Very Poor category from 03.01.2024 to 05.01.2024. The outlook for subsequent 6 Days: The air quality is likely to remain in the Very Poor to Poor category,” Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s(IITM) air quality bulletin said on Tuesday.

In light of the improved air quality in Delhi, Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been revoked, an order by the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) had said.

However, the sub- committee on air quality management has strictly advised all the concerned agencies to intensify anti- pollution actions under the GRAP- I&II which still remain to be in force across the Delhi- NCR in view of preventing air quality from worsening further.