An intense cold wave has affected many parts of India and the conditions are likely to preserve for the next two days, officials said Wednesday.

The cold wave has intensified in several states in north, west and central India.

India's capital New Delhi recorded the coldest temperature of the season Wednesday morning, with the mercury dipping to 3.8 centigrade. The minimum temperature is 4 notches below the season's average.

According to Indian meteorological department officials, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 centigrade during the day.

Apart from chilly nights, the residents are battling air pollution in the city.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall air quality index (AQI) remained in very poor category at 398 in Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Officials said intense cold wave conditions were prevalent in the entire northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The mercury continued to dip at several areas, especially during the night.

Dense fog has also disrupted normal life by affecting rail and road traffic.

"Muzaffarnagar continues to be the coldest place in state recording the lowest temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius which is 5 degrees below normal," the meteorological department officials said, adding that "in Lucknow city also night temperature plummeted to 4.8 degree which is again 4 degrees below normal."

Reports said railways have cancelled at least 46 trains including Gomti express which runs daily between Lucknow to Delhi and Humsafar express which runs between Gorakhpur to Delhi in the wake of the foggy conditions.

In another northern state of Himachal Pradesh, the mercury has plunged to minus 9.4 centigrade in Keylong, while popular tourist destination Manali was reeling under minus 3.2 centigrade. The entire state is in the grip of cold wave conditions, officials said.

Officials said a significant drop of 2-4 degrees have been witnessed across the plains of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan also during the past 24 hours and is expected to extend in the areas of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and some parts of Gujarat.