Deterioration in air quality expected in Tashkent on the night of October 26

Ecologists warned of possible deterioration in air quality

The National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan reported that on the night of October 25 to 26, air quality in Tashkent may change due to unfavorable meteorological conditions. According to the forecast, in the evening and at night the concentration of particulate matter (PM) will rise, and under the international Air Quality Index (AQI) the air may reach the 'unhealthy' level, while under the national index an 'orange' level is expected.

Causes: cooling, weak wind and inversion

The committee explained the mechanism of the phenomenon: at night and in the morning, falling air temperatures, weak wind and a strong temperature inversion restrict air exchange in the lower layers of the atmosphere. As a result, PM2.5 and PM10 particles accumulate in the surface layer, and their concentration may increase. The editorial team notes that this is already a repeated warning within a short period: as Kun.uz reported, on the night of October 23 to 24, a short-term deterioration in air quality was also expected in Tashkent. This indicates a persistent pattern of unfavorable meteorological conditions in the city on these days, although the exact duration of the period with high pollution is not specified in the reports.

Why this matters

The warning concerns residents of Tashkent, primarily sensitive groups — at the 'unhealthy' AQI level, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the surface layer may rise noticeably. In practical terms, this means that city residents should take air conditions into account when planning evening and morning outings on the night of October 25 to 26, following updates to the national air quality index.