Lahore AQI hits 296: world's most polluted major city again as smog thickens

Lahore AQI today: the city recorded a US Air Quality Index of 296 at 10am on Wednesday 28 October 2026, the worst reading of any major city in the world at that hour, according to the live ranking by Swiss monitor IQAir, Dawn reported. It is the second time in recent days that Lahore has topped the list, as the first cold mornings of the season trap smoke and dust close to the ground.

How Lahore compared on Wednesday morning

Lahore, Cairo and Delhi were all in the "very unhealthy" band (201 to 300). Karachi, at 173, was in the "unhealthy" band. Readings change through the day, and they usually peak in the early morning and late evening, when the air is coldest and stillest.

What an AQI of 296 means for you

At this level the air can affect anyone, not only people with health conditions. Children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with asthma, heart disease or other lung conditions are most at risk. Practical steps for the coming weeks:

• Cut outdoor exertion in the morning and after sunset: move walks, jogging and school sports indoors or to midday.
• Wear a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask outdoors; cloth and surgical masks stop little of the fine PM2.5 dust.
• Keep windows shut on bad mornings and run an air purifier if you have one.
• Drive slowly with low beams when smog cuts visibility on the motorways and the Ring Road.
• See a doctor if you have chest tightness, persistent cough or breathlessness.

What the Punjab EPA says it is doing

Environment Protection Agency spokesperson Sajid Bashir told Dawn that colder weather was feeding the smog and that easterly winds were pushing polluted air from India's border areas into Lahore and central Punjab. He said the department was:

• monitoring industries and had installed devices to record their emissions;
• acting to stop stubble burning in the fields around the city;
• buying and installing 30 more fog cannons on electric trucks, with anti-smog guns sent first to spots where PM10 readings are highest;
• using machinery to settle dust on roads, since development work in Lahore and other cities was also adding to pollution.

These steps follow the province's wider winter plan, including crop-fire teams in 10 districts and the super seeder and brick kiln targets set for 15 November.

Why it gets worse every November

Lahore's smog season usually runs from late October into January. Cold, still air forms a lid over the city, and emissions from vehicles, factories, brick kilns and burning crop residue build up beneath it. Until rain or stronger winds arrive, readings in the 200s and 300s are common.

If you are thinking of running an air purifier or heater for longer hours this winter, our electricity bill calculator shows what the extra units will cost on your next bill.