Delhi records coldest day of season at 7.2 degrees

New Delhi: Delhi recorded the coldest day of the season on Wednesday with minimum temperature at 7.2 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature is expected to be 14 degree Celsius. The day will be partly cloudy and several places around the national capital will witness severe cold. 

Cold weather conditions intensified over Delhi-NCR since Monday, but Tuesday saw the maximum temperature plunging to 12.2 degree Celsius, the coldest December in 22 years.  

The weather conditions have affected the normal lives of the people. Some were seen taking refuge at night shelters set up across the city. 

Delhi: People take refuge at night shelters as cold wave intensifies in the national capital; visuals from a night shelter in Sarai Kale Khan area. pic.twitter.com/jE9tY5JDOb — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2019

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the cold day conditions will  continue to prevail in pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan will become less intense from Wednesday. 

The IMD also predicted light rainfall and snow over the western Himalayan region due to a fresh western disturbance from the night of December 18.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital, which was under 'moderate' category, worsened on Wednesday. The Air Quality Index in the morning was 294 - 'poor' category. 

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"The AQI is likely to stay at moderate to lower end of poor category till Wednesday. A decrease in wind speed is predicted for December 19, therefore AQI is likely to deteriorate to higher end of poor to lower end of very poor category. On December 20, AQI may further deteriorate to very poor category,"System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said.

Meanwhile, due to increasing cold wave conditions in Uttar Pradesh, schools in Saharanpur and Bareilly have been shut.