Tashkent ranked second with an AQI of 196, while Karachi placed third with 170. Dhaka followed in fourth place at 166, and New Delhi ranked fifth with an AQI of 156.
Meanwhile, Punjab government monitoring data recorded Lahore’s AQI at 478 at 7am on Sunday. Gujranwala topped the province’s pollution rankings with an AQI of 500, followed by Lahore at 478 and Sheikhupura at 336.
Other cities also reported high pollution levels, with AQI readings of 326 in Nankana Sahib, 317 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 312 in Hafizabad, 297 in Jhang and 273 in Khushab.
Several areas of Lahore recorded AQI levels of 500, including Burki Road, Shahdara, Kahna Nau, Multan Road, Punjab University, GT Road, Gulberg III, Wagah Border and Egerton Road.
The provincial government’s figures showed that Lahore’s AQI at the same time a day earlier had been 357. During the past week, the city’s highest recorded reading was 478, while the lowest was 100, measured at 2pm on October 30.
Weather conditions on Sunday morning included a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius and relative humidity of 84 per cent. Winds were blowing from the south at 0.3 metres per second, while solar radiation was recorded at 13 watts per square metre.