Punjab AQI Today, 5 November 2026: Lahore Worst at 395, Six Lahore Stations Hazardous (All 32 Cities)

Short answer: Lahore had the worst air in Punjab at 3 am on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) dashboard put Lahore's AQI at 395, which it calls Very Unhealthy. That is up from 375 at the same hour a day earlier. Six of Lahore's 11 monitoring stations were in the Hazardous band, led by Safari Park at 472.

We read the official dashboard at aqi.punjab.gov.pk shortly after 3:30 am. It said "Last updated: 3:00 AM, Nov 5". The air in Lahore was almost still, with wind at 0.4 metres a second. Humidity was 81 per cent and the temperature 21 C. Those are the conditions that hold smoke and dust close to the ground through the night.

Lahore topped Punjab's AQI ranking at 395

Lahore was first of 32 cities at 3 am on 5 November, at 395. Multan (353), Jhang (351), Nankana Sahib (337) and Vehari (334) followed. No city reached the Hazardous band of 401 to 500, but seven were Very Unhealthy and 11 more were Unhealthy.

AQI means Air Quality Index. It turns the level of fine dust and gases into one number from 0 to 500. A higher number means dirtier air. The table gives every city the dashboard listed, in its own order.

Kasur's reading of 50 needs care. A day earlier, at 5 am on 4 November, the same dashboard had Kasur at 424 and in the Hazardous band. The dashboard also carried a notice that some stations had connectivity issues. We would not read 50 as clean air in Kasur until a few more hours of data agree.

Six of Lahore's 11 stations were Hazardous

Inside Lahore, Safari Park read 472, Punjab University 457, Kahna Nau 439, Barki Road 435, Gulberg III 431 and GT Road 402. All six are in the Hazardous band. Wagha Border was the cleanest station at 260, which is still Unhealthy.

The worst spots moved overnight. At 5 am on 4 November, Shahdara read 500 and Punjab University 289. At 3 am on 5 November, Shahdara had eased to 379 while Punjab University had climbed to 457. Those readings are two hours apart in the day, so treat the change as a rough guide. The Lahore AQI by area explains where each station sits and why one town can be much worse than the next.

Seven cities were Very Unhealthy and 11 Unhealthy

By our count of the dashboard, 18 of 32 Punjab cities were above 200 at 3 am. Seven were Very Unhealthy, 11 Unhealthy, seven Unhealthy for sensitive groups and six Moderate. Only Kasur showed Good, and that reading looks doubtful.

The north was cleaner, as it was a day earlier. Rawalpindi read 147, Jhelum 131 and Murree 121. The south and centre carried the heavy smog: Multan, Jhang, Vehari and Pakpattan were all above 300. Compare that with the Punjab AQI on 4 November, when Nankana Sahib hit 500 and five cities were Hazardous.

Punjab EPA tells people at risk to stay indoors

The dashboard's own advice is short. Everyone should limit outdoor activity on poor air days. People at risk, such as children, older people and heart or lung patients, should stay indoors and wear an N95 mask if they must go out.

Here is what the dashboard says, in its own words:

• General public: "Limit outdoor activities on poor air quality days" and "Prefer indoor gyms or home workouts".
• Vulnerable groups: "Stay indoors", "Use N95 mask and protective glasses if going out is necessary", and "Regularly check AQI and health vitals".
• Patients: "COPD/CVD patients should consult doctor for mask selection". COPD is a long-term lung disease and CVD means heart disease.

A cloth mask does very little against fine dust. The N95 and KN95 mask advice shows how a mask should fit. If you live near a station in the Hazardous band, follow these steps today:

1. Check your own city or town on aqi.punjab.gov.pk before you step out.
2. Keep children, older relatives and patients indoors in the early morning and late night.
3. Close windows at night, when readings are usually highest.
4. Wear a fitted N95 or KN95 mask if you must go outside.
5. Report open burning or smoky kilns on the Green Punjab app or the EPA helpline 1373.

Still, damp night air kept the smog close to the ground

Lahore's wind was 0.4 metres a second at 3 am, almost no movement at all. Humidity was 81 per cent. On cool, calm nights a layer of warmer air sits above the city and traps smoke and dust below it until the sun heats the ground.

That is why readings often peak between midnight and early morning, then ease by the afternoon. The NDMA seasonal outlook expects smog risk to rise further in December; the smog forecast for November and December sets out what it said. We saw no school closure order on the EPA dashboard. A real closure would come as an order from the Environment Protection Department and a notice from the School Education Department, so check those before you keep a child at home.

Common questions

What was Lahore's AQI on 5 November 2026?

Lahore read 395 at 3 am, which Punjab EPA calls Very Unhealthy. It was 375 at the same hour a day earlier.

Which Lahore area had the worst air?

Safari Park, at 472. Punjab University (457), Kahna Nau (439), Barki Road (435), Gulberg III (431) and GT Road (402) were also Hazardous.

Which Punjab city was worst after Lahore?

Multan at 353, then Jhang at 351, Nankana Sahib at 337 and Vehari at 334.

Is Kasur's air really Good?

We doubt it. The dashboard showed Kasur at 50, but it was 424 a day earlier and the page carried a station connectivity notice. Wait for more readings.

Where do I check the official AQI?

Use the Punjab EPA dashboard at aqi.punjab.gov.pk. It updates every hour and shows each city and each Lahore station.

Where can I report smoke or burning?

Use the Green Punjab app or call the EPA helpline 1373.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read the Punjab EPA air quality dashboard at aqi.punjab.gov.pk shortly after 3:30 am PKT on 5 November 2026. It showed "Last updated: 3:00 AM, Nov 5", the 32 city ranking, Lahore's 11 station readings, the weather box and the health advice. The band counts are our own. The 4 November figures come from our reading of the same dashboard a day earlier. Readings change every hour, so check the dashboard for the latest number.