The national Capital recorded a minimum temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, three notches below the season’s average, PTI reported. Foggy and hazy conditions prevailed through the day. The maximum temperature was recorded at 20.6 degrees, two degrees below the normal.

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet said such weather conditions are expected to last for another 24 hours, ANI reported. It has also predicted moderate rainfall and thunderstorm on Wednesday. The cold wave over the region is expected to abate after January 31, the agency said.

The Indian Railways said as many as 16 trains were rescheduled after being delayed by more than an hour.

Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan on Tuesday issued an avalanche warning for nine districts in the division, Greater Kashmir reported. These include Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh.

Cold wave conditions continued in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday as the minimum temperature dipped three to four degrees Celsius below the average at many places. Shimla Meteorological Centre Director Manmohan Singh said the maximum temperature was also two to three degrees Celsius below average.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state at minus 16.2 degrees Celsius.

The weather department said that the higher and middle regions of the hills will experience heavy rain and snowfall, while the low hills and plains will witness thundershowers from January 30 to February 1.

Cold wave hits Rajasthan

Churu on Tuesday recorded the lowest minimum temperature of the season, at -1.1 degrees Celsius, which is six degrees below the normal, said Skymet. Most districts in the state are currently reeling under a cold wave, with minimum temperatures below normal by four to seven degrees Celsius in several places.

The weather agency has predicted light, scattered rainfall over northern and western parts of the state on January 30 and January 31 as a western disturbance is expected to approach Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. This will induce a cyclonic circulation over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan, it added, leading to rainfall over Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts.