Modelled fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) near 31.55°N, 74.34°E averaged 73.9 µg/m³ on 26 September 2026 — 4.9 times the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. Every one of the previous 7 full days was above that guideline, averaging 75.6 µg/m³ with a worst day of 85.6 µg/m³. A later reading on 27 September was still above the line at 64.6 µg/m³, making 8 days running, which confirms this is a sustained episode rather than a one-day blip.
What this is not: these are not ground monitor readings. CAMS is a model on a roughly 40 km grid, so it smooths out neighbourhood hotspots and can misplace dust or smoke plumes drifting from outside the city. It judges PM2.5 only — ozone, nitrogen dioxide and indoor air are not assessed. The WHO figure is a health guideline, not a legal limit, and this record says nothing about what produced the particles. The El Niño phase in place (ONI 1.8) can shift weather patterns that trap or disperse haze.
What would change our mind: ground-station measurements showing much lower values, a data revision to the CAMS feed, or daily means falling back below 15 µg/m³.
Written by AI, then checked by a separate reviewer before publication. Every claim points at the evidence below.