Punjab AQI 7 November 2026 Evening: Kot Addu 212, Sahiwal 211, Lahore Down to 148 (All 33 Cities)

Fourteen hours earlier, three Punjab cities were in the Hazardous band and Kot Addu was at the top of the scale, 500. By the late afternoon the worst reading in the province was 212. We read every number below on Punjab EPA's official dashboard, aqi.punjab.gov.pk, which showed "Last updated: 5:00 PM, Nov 7".

That is good news for the afternoon, but it is not a forecast for tonight. Readings in Punjab have risen sharply after dark all week. So check again before you go out on Saturday night or early on Sunday, when polling opens in the NA-77 Gujranwala and PP-203 Sahiwal by-elections.

Kot Addu was worst at 5 pm with an AQI of 212

Kot Addu topped Punjab EPA's ranking again at 5 pm on 7 November, at 212. Sahiwal was one point behind at 211 and Pakpattan read 204. These three were the only cities in the Unhealthy band, which runs from 201 to 300 on Punjab's scale.

Vehari sat right at the edge at 200, and Muzaffargarh read 197. Fourteen cities were in the band Punjab EPA calls Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, from 151 to 200. Most of them are in south and central Punjab.

The cleanest air was in the north. Chakwal read 64, Talagang 71 and Jhelum 75. Rawalpindi was at 97, and Gujrat at 92. All five were in the Satisfactory band.

Every Punjab city at 5 pm on 7 November 2026

The dashboard ranked 33 cities at 5 pm. Here is each one with its band on Punjab EPA's seven band scale, and its 3 am figure from our morning reading where the dashboard gave one then.

By our count, that is 3 cities in the Unhealthy band, 14 for sensitive groups, 11 Moderate and 5 Satisfactory. None was Very Unhealthy or Hazardous. Only Jhelum, Talagang and Murree read a little higher at 5 pm than at 3 am.

Lahore fell from 345 at 3 am to 148 at 5 pm

Lahore's AQI was 148 at 5 pm, which Punjab EPA labels Moderate. That is less than half of its 3 am figure of 345. The dashboard also showed Lahore at 150 at the same hour on 6 November, so the late afternoon level has held steady for two days.

Lahore's worst station was Shahdara at 162, followed by Multan Road at 160 and Barki Road at 159. GT Road, which read 500 before dawn, was the cleanest station at 126. See every station's location in our Lahore area-wise guide.

PM2.5 and PM10 are tiny particles of dust and smoke, measured in micrograms per cubic metre of air. PM2.5 is the finer kind that reaches deep into the lungs. At Wagha Border and Gulberg III, PM10 was high while PM2.5 was low. That pattern usually points to coarse dust rather than smoke, but the dashboard does not give a cause, so treat that as a reading of the numbers only.

What the 5 pm numbers mean for Saturday night and Sunday

An afternoon reading is usually the day's best in Punjab's smog season. Our own readings this week show the pattern clearly. Kasur went from 411 at 3 am to 144 at 5 pm. Nankana Sahib went from 395 to 167. Air near the ground mixes better in the warm afternoon, and the dashboard showed Lahore at 29°C with almost no wind.

Calm wind matters at night. With wind at 0.4 metres a second in Lahore at 5 pm, smoke has little chance to blow away after sunset. We cannot tell you tonight's number. The dashboard's forecast panel showed only dashes when we read it. So use these steps before you go out:

1. Open aqi.punjab.gov.pk and read the "Last updated" time first.
2. Find your city in the ranking, not just Lahore.
3. Match the number to a band. Above 200, wear a mask outdoors.
4. If you have asthma or heart disease, follow the sensitive group advice from 151.
5. Check again in the morning. A night reading can be double the afternoon one.

Voters in Sahiwal and Gujranwala should look at the morning figure before leaving. Sahiwal was the second worst city in Punjab at 5 pm. Polling details for both seats are in our by-election guide.

Punjab EPA's advice at each band

Punjab EPA's health advisory page sets out what to do at each level. Above 200, everyone should wear a face mask outdoors and avoid heavy or long outdoor activity. Between 151 and 200, vulnerable people should keep children indoors, close doors and windows and wear a mask.

• Moderate, 101 to 150: check the AQI before outdoor plans. Vulnerable people should cut back time outdoors and keep a nebulizer at hand if they use one.
• Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151 to 200: everyone should cut back on long or hard outdoor effort. Older adults should stay inside.
• Unhealthy, 201 to 300: everyone should wear a mask outdoors. Vulnerable people should use an N95 mask if they must go out.
• Very Unhealthy and Hazardous, 301 and above: limit or stop outdoor activity, and wear an N95 mask and protective glasses if you must go out.

Vulnerable people are children, older people, pregnant women and anyone with asthma, COPD or heart disease. Our guide on protecting children and older parents goes through each level for them.

No smog closure order was on the official pages

We found no new school closure or smog lockdown order for November 2026 on the official Environment Protection Department pages when we checked on 7 November. School orders, when they come, appear in the places listed in our guide to checking smog school closures. Monday 9 November is already a public holiday for Iqbal Day.

You can report burning and smoky kilns or vehicles on the Green Punjab app, or on Punjab EPA's complaint WhatsApp number, 0335-9232227, which is listed on the department's home page.

Common questions

What was Punjab's worst AQI at 5 pm on 7 November 2026?

Kot Addu, at 212, in the Unhealthy band. Sahiwal was second at 211 and Pakpattan third at 204.

What was Lahore's AQI on the evening of 7 November?

148 at 5 pm, labelled Moderate. It had read 345 at 3 am the same day and 150 at 5 pm on 6 November.

Which Punjab city had the cleanest air at 5 pm?

Chakwal, at 64. Talagang read 71, Jhelum 75, Gujrat 92 and Rawalpindi 97, all in the Satisfactory band.

Was any Punjab city Hazardous on the evening of 7 November?

No. At 5 pm no city was above 212. At 3 am the same day, Kot Addu, Kasur and Muzaffargarh were all above 400.

Will the air be bad on by-election day in Sahiwal?

We cannot say yet. The dashboard's forecast was not showing when we checked, and Sahiwal read 211 at 5 pm. Check the reading on Sunday morning before you go to vote.

Why does the AQI drop so much in the afternoon?

Warm afternoon air mixes the smoke upward, so readings near the ground fall. After sunset, with almost no wind, the smoke stays low and the number usually climbs again.

How we verified this

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

Last checked at 5 pm on 7 November 2026 on the Punjab EPA air quality dashboard. Band advice is from its health advisory page. The 3 am figures are from our own reading of the same dashboard that morning. Helplines are from the Environment Protection Department's home page. These are one-hour readings and they change every hour.