NEW DELHI: With unusually strong cold wave conditions persisting all over north India, daily life has been affected across the region.

Weathermen have predicted that temperatures may plummet further by the weekend and may hit zero degrees on Friday.

The minimum temperature in the national capital on Tuesday climbed to 5.2 degrees bringing some respite to millions after a cold wave for over a week.

An official of the India Meteorological Department said that the sudden fluctuation in weather is not uncommon. Tuesday is much warmer than the last few days but the temperature will drop substantially in a day or two.

On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a minimum of 5.2 degrees Celsius (three degrees below normal), as against 2.3 degrees on Monday. Tuesday was the coldest Jan 29 for Delhi in five years. In 2007, the minimum temperature was 12 degrees on January 29.

"The minimum temperature is likely to go down below two degrees soon," the official added.

However, thousands of tiny tots in Delhi, facing a tough time leaving for schools amid chill in the morning, will have some respite as the government-run primary schools will remain closed for three days from Wednesday.

"It is too cold and we have asked government primary schools to announce holiday for three days," Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on the sideline of a function in New Delhi on Tuesday.

However, the IMD official said the cold wave condition might not last more than a week.