India, Jan. 27 -- Mercury dipped to as low as 3.6degC in parts of Delhi on Monday as isolated coldwave conditions were recorded across the capital, even as air quality deteriorated to the "poor" category, snapping a rare two-day streak of "moderate" air in January. The capital logged its coldest Republic Day in five years on Monday, with temperatures last falling this low in 2021 at 2.1degC.

Officials said the sharp dip in minimum temperature was caused by clear skies and sustained icy northwesterly winds over the weekend. However, wind speeds weakened during the day on Monday due to the approach of a western disturbance, which is expected to raise temperatures and bring light rain to the city on Tuesday.

Delhi's 24-hour average air qua...