Air quality
Air quality in Lucknow today
Updated
Unhealthy (US AQI 174) Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 12:53 am (19:23 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 174 Unhealthy
- PM2.5
- 71 µg/m³ 4.7× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 94 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 40 µg/m³
Air quality in Lucknow right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India is 174, which falls in the "Unhealthy" band (up to 200). Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed.
PM2.5 is 71 µg/m³, 4.7 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 94 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 40 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 30 µg/m³ (above the 24-hour guideline of 25).
Lucknow vs the rest of India
Across 260 India cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 116 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Lucknow at 174 is 58 points worse than average.
It ranks 254 of 260 from cleanest to most polluted; the cleanest is Dindigul (25) and the most polluted Karnāl (376).
For context, the median across 3,909 cities worldwide is 56.
Air quality in cities near Lucknow
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanpur | 71 km | 159 | Unhealthy | 56.9 |
| Gauriganj | 104 km | 170 | Unhealthy | 118 |
| Shāhjānpur | 153 km | 151 | Unhealthy | 42.4 |
| Prayagraj | 180 km | 174 | Unhealthy | 131.3 |
| Bareilly | 225 km | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 35.2 |
| Gorakhpur | 243 km | 169 | Unhealthy | 126.7 |
| Satna | 252 km | 111 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 41.7 |
| Fīrozābād | 253 km | 159 | Unhealthy | 54.1 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Lucknow, so the numbers on this page are model estimates. Models capture regional pollution well but can miss very local sources such as a busy road or a nearby fire.
Wildfire smoke
PM2.5 is forecast to reach 71 µg/m³ in the next 24 hours while NASA satellites detected 312 fire hotspots within 300 km in the last day (nearest about 35 km away). Smoke is a likely contributor: keep windows closed, run an air purifier or HVAC filter, and check the fire map before heading out.
Advice for sensitive groups
At 174, children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma, COPD or heart disease should limit time outdoors, especially strenuous activity. A well-fitted N95/FFP2 mask cuts particle exposure; it does not filter ozone.
What the US AQI numbers mean
| US AQI | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-50 | Good | Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity. |
| 51-100 | Moderate | Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Health alert: everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors, and sensitive groups should stay indoors. |
| 301-500 | Hazardous | Emergency conditions: everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity and stay indoors with filtered air if possible. The scale tops out at 500; heavier dust or smoke is shown as 500. |
Values on this page are modelled by CAMS (Copernicus) and served by Open-Meteo; they are estimates for the area around the city centre, not readings from an official monitor.
Nearby cities
More for Lucknow
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), NASA FIRMS.