A cold wave swept the national capital on Sunday morning, with the minimum temperature dipping to 3.1 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said.

However, clear skies and plenty of sunshine are expected to provide some relief. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 22 degrees Celsius, an IMD official said.

This is the fourth cold wave day in Delhi in a week.

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.

The minimum temperature on Tuesday and Thursday had settled at 2.1 degrees Celsius and 3.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, due to the cold and dry northwesterly winds barreling through the plains, the IMD said.

Cold wave conditions had prevailed in Delhi on Friday, too, with the minimum temperature settling at four degrees Celsius, five notches below normal.

On Saturday, the minimum temperature in the national capital rose slightly to 5.4 degrees Celsius.

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