A cold wave gripped the national capital on Thursday as the minimum temperature dropped to 3.8 degrees Celsius due to cold, dry westerly winds barreling through the plains, the India Meteorological Department said.

In the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A severe cold wave is when the minimum is 2 degrees Celsius or less.

A cold wave had swept the city on Tuesday, too, with the minimum temperature dropping to 2.1 degrees Celsius, seven notches below normal.

An IMD official said cold wave conditions are likely on Friday as well. The minimum temperature is predicted to settle around four degrees Celsius.

Delhi had recorded a cold day on Sunday with the maximum temperature dropping to 15 degrees Celsius, six notches below normal and the lowest this month.

On New Year's Day, the city had recorded a minimum of 1.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest for the month in 15 years.

Meanwhile, a low-intensity earthquake of magnitude 2.8 hit Delhi on Thursday morning, the National Centre for Seismology said.

The epicentre of the earthquake was West Delhi and it occurred at a depth of 15 kilometres at 9.17 am.