Air quality in Tashkent deteriorates; conditions expected to persist for several days

According to the agency, as of 20:00 on 16 November, the concentration of fine particulate matter in the capital’s atmosphere exceeded acceptable levels by multiple times. PM10 reached 373 µg/m³, surpassing the permissible limit by 1.2 times (300 µg/m³), while PM2.5 levels rose to 202 µg/m³, exceeding the threshold by 3.4 times (60 µg/m³).

Meteorologists noted that sudden temperature fluctuations contributed to the spike. Rapid temperature changes can trigger atmospheric inversion — a process that traps fine particles close to the ground, increasing their concentration.

“These weather conditions will persist across the country for several more days. We ask citizens and foreign guests to take precautionary measures,” Uzhydromet said.

Residents are advised to reduce time spent outdoors and wear protective masks when going outside.

Data from the IQAir platform showed that by 08:00 on Sunday, Tashkent’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 173, classified as unhealthy. PM2.5 concentrations were 17.3 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended annual guideline.