A blanket of fog enveloped the capital in the early hours of Saturday, reducing visibility to around 500 metres, even as there was a slight respite from the intense cold wave conditions.

The fog, however, cleared up fast and did not affect rail, road or air traffic in Delhi.

The mercury, meanwhile, climbed upwards, with the minimum recorded at 6.8 degrees Celsius, the Met Department said.

However, this was still a degree below the normal temperature for this time of the season.

In the last few days, temperatures have been recorded several notches below normal in Delhi, with cold wave conditions persisting across north India.

The maximum temperature recorded on Friday was 23.5 degrees Celsius, which is normal.

The mercury had dipped to 3.6 degrees Celsius on December 16, making it the second coldest day of the season.

According to the Met Department forecast for Sunday, the minimum temperature in Delhi will stay around seven degrees Celsius, while there could be mist or shallow fog in the morning hours.