This is a weather update for Dhaka and its nearby areas on Saturday, February 17th, 2024. At 8:02 am this morning, Dhaka’s AQI was 196, ranking it fourth among the cities with the poorest air quality globally.

The air quality in Dhaka has been a long-standing problem, worsened during the winter months. Dhaka’s PM2.5 level, at 168 g/m, is 28.4 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit.

The highly contaminated urban areas were Delhi and Mumbai, India, along with Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan marking AQI figures of 218, 199, and 184, respectively.

The AQI is an important measure that provides information on the possible health effects for the residents, essential for knowing the daily air quality. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, the air is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” while values between 150 and 200 indicate “unhealthy” conditions. An AQI value of 201 to 300 means “very unhealthy” air quality, and values above 300 are marked as “hazardous,” implying serious health risks.

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes nearly seven million deaths every year, mainly due to increased mortality from lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, acute respiratory infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.