The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the 'very poor' category (File)
After a brief respite on New Year, cold wave conditions returned to the national capital on Monday and people were found huddled around bonfires along the roads to beat the bone-chilling conditions.
"It is very very cold. One cannot survive without sitting near the fire," said a watchman who was seen near a bonfire near Mata Sundri road in the New Delhi area.
"I leave my place for work at around 5 am. Sitting near the fire is the only respite in the cold weather," said another man waiting near the bonfire.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was recorded in the 'very poor' category with the AQI reaching 301.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east and northwest India.
Cold wave and fog conditions also continued to prevail over West Bengal's capital Kolkata.
On Sunday, the IMD said that dense to very dense fog and cold wave conditions are very likely to continue over the plains of northwest India during the next five days.
"Dense to very dense fog in the night/morning hours in some/many pockets over North India, including Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh is likely to continue during next five days," an IMD press note said on Sunday.
As per IMD, above-normal to normal minimum temperatures are most likely over southern parts of the south Peninsula, many parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest India.