SmogRank / Episodes / India

North-western India, May 2025

For 3 days, from 20 to 22 May 2025, 11 cities in India had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Aya Nagar, Delhi, India: 125.0 µg/m³ on 20 May, about 2.5× its usual 49.5.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached11in 1 country
Days320 to 22 May 2025
Worst day21 May5 cities counted
Furthest above usual9.8×Rishīkesh

Day by day

21 May 5 cities at twice their usual or more
JaipurDausaAlwarSīkarJhunjhunūnBhiwadiKarauliChūruNajafgarhDera MāndiAjmerVrindāvanBawānaDelhiNoidaNarelaLoniGreater NoidaGhāziābādDādriBāghpatBūndiDhaulpurAgraKhurjaBulandshahrHāpurKotaNāgaurMeerutBārānFīrozābādBhilwaraGwaliorMuzaffarnagarHanumāngarhBikanerNandriMorādābādPāliRājsamandJodhpurJhānsiGobindgarhSri GanganagarKhannaMohaliChandigarhLudhianaDehradunBareillyPratāpgarhUdaipurJalandharJalorSirohiBānswāraRatlāmBhopalKanpurSaugorRajākheriDamohBathindaBaddiPatiālaChittorgarhDūngarpurJhālāwārAya NagarBharatpurSawai MadhopurTonkRishīkesh
17 May1819202122232425
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

PatiālaPatiāla, 17 May: 75.6 µg/m³, 2.3× usualPatiāla, 18 May: 74.6 µg/m³, 2.2× usualPatiāla, 19 May: 70.8 µg/m³, 2.1× usualPatiāla, 20 May: 73.7 µg/m³, 2.2× usualPatiāla, 21 May: 69.4 µg/m³, 2.1× usualPatiāla, 22 May: 21.3 µg/m³, 0.6× usualPatiāla, 23 May: 32.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usualPatiāla, 24 May: 43.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usualPatiāla, 25 May: no readingRishīkeshRishīkesh, 17 May: 38.7 µg/m³, 7.7× usualRishīkesh, 18 May: 34.4 µg/m³, 6.9× usualRishīkesh, 19 May: 72.8 µg/m³, 15× usualRishīkesh, 20 May: 49.2 µg/m³, 9.8× usualRishīkesh, 21 May: 35.3 µg/m³, 7.1× usualRishīkesh, 22 May: 17.9 µg/m³, 3.6× usualRishīkesh, 23 May: 20.6 µg/m³, 4.1× usualRishīkesh, 24 May: no readingRishīkesh, 25 May: no readingBharatpurBharatpur, 17 May: 24.3 µg/m³, 1.2× usualBharatpur, 18 May: 29.6 µg/m³, 1.5× usualBharatpur, 19 May: 41.0 µg/m³, 2.1× usualBharatpur, 20 May: 47.3 µg/m³, 2.4× usualBharatpur, 21 May: 48.7 µg/m³, 2.5× usualBharatpur, 22 May: 22.1 µg/m³, 1.1× usualBharatpur, 23 May: 34.9 µg/m³, 1.8× usualBharatpur, 24 May: 32.0 µg/m³, 1.6× usualBharatpur, 25 May: no readingAya NagarAya Nagar, 17 May: 44.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualAya Nagar, 18 May: 74.0 µg/m³, 1.5× usualAya Nagar, 19 May: 94.9 µg/m³, 1.9× usualAya Nagar, 20 May: 125.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usualAya Nagar, 21 May: 74.6 µg/m³, 1.5× usualAya Nagar, 22 May: 37.1 µg/m³, 0.7× usualAya Nagar, 23 May: 26.8 µg/m³, 0.5× usualAya Nagar, 24 May: 57.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usualAya Nagar, 25 May: no readingBaddiBaddi, 17 May: 38.6 µg/m³, 0.7× usualBaddi, 18 May: 59.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usualBaddi, 19 May: 70.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usualBaddi, 20 May: 70.9 µg/m³, 1.4× usualBaddi, 21 May: 115.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usualBaddi, 22 May: 40.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBaddi, 23 May: 46.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualBaddi, 24 May: 61.8 µg/m³, 1.2× usualBaddi, 25 May: no readingBathindaBathinda, 17 May: 39.5 µg/m³, 0.9× usualBathinda, 18 May: no readingBathinda, 19 May: 34.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBathinda, 20 May: 63.8 µg/m³, 1.4× usualBathinda, 21 May: 92.9 µg/m³, 2.1× usualBathinda, 22 May: 63.4 µg/m³, 1.4× usualBathinda, 23 May: 65.3 µg/m³, 1.5× usualBathinda, 24 May: 98.5 µg/m³, 2.2× usualBathinda, 25 May: 14.7 µg/m³, 0.3× usualTonkTonk, 17 May: 24.8 µg/m³, 0.7× usualTonk, 18 May: 35.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usualTonk, 19 May: 36.8 µg/m³, 1.1× usualTonk, 20 May: 48.7 µg/m³, 1.4× usualTonk, 21 May: 53.7 µg/m³, 1.5× usualTonk, 22 May: 110.0 µg/m³, 3.1× usualTonk, 23 May: 52.1 µg/m³, 1.5× usualTonk, 24 May: 56.8 µg/m³, 1.6× usualTonk, 25 May: no readingChittorgarhChittorgarh, 17 May: no readingChittorgarh, 18 May: no readingChittorgarh, 19 May: 37.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usualChittorgarh, 20 May: 16.9 µg/m³, 0.5× usualChittorgarh, 21 May: 28.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usualChittorgarh, 22 May: 82.2 µg/m³, 2.3× usualChittorgarh, 23 May: 30.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualChittorgarh, 24 May: 38.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usualChittorgarh, 25 May: no readingJhālāwārJhālāwār, 17 May: 37.5 µg/m³, 1.4× usualJhālāwār, 18 May: 41.8 µg/m³, 1.6× usualJhālāwār, 19 May: no readingJhālāwār, 20 May: 11.5 µg/m³, 0.4× usualJhālāwār, 21 May: no readingJhālāwār, 22 May: 67.1 µg/m³, 2.5× usualJhālāwār, 23 May: 20.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualJhālāwār, 24 May: 26.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usualJhālāwār, 25 May: no readingDūngarpurDūngarpur, 17 May: 25.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usualDūngarpur, 18 May: 28.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usualDūngarpur, 19 May: 26.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usualDūngarpur, 20 May: 23.6 µg/m³, 0.9× usualDūngarpur, 21 May: 19.5 µg/m³, 0.8× usualDūngarpur, 22 May: 64.5 µg/m³, 2.5× usualDūngarpur, 23 May: 38.4 µg/m³, 1.5× usualDūngarpur, 24 May: 29.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usualDūngarpur, 25 May: 31.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSawai MadhopurSawai Madhopur, 17 May: 42.9 µg/m³, 1.7× usualSawai Madhopur, 18 May: 34.8 µg/m³, 1.4× usualSawai Madhopur, 19 May: 36.7 µg/m³, 1.5× usualSawai Madhopur, 20 May: 36.8 µg/m³, 1.5× usualSawai Madhopur, 21 May: 41.2 µg/m³, 1.7× usualSawai Madhopur, 22 May: 63.3 µg/m³, 2.6× usualSawai Madhopur, 23 May: 28.6 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSawai Madhopur, 24 May: 26.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usualSawai Madhopur, 25 May: no reading17 May1819202122232425
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
RishīkeshUttarakhand, India2 72.819 May1.315×
TonkRajasthan, India1 110.022 May35.03.1×
Sawai MadhopurRajasthan, India1 63.322 May24.72.6×
DūngarpurRajasthan, India1 64.522 May25.32.5×
JhālāwārRajasthan, India1 67.122 May26.42.5×
Aya NagarDelhi, India1 125.020 May49.52.5×
BharatpurRajasthan, India2 48.721 May19.72.5×
PatiālaPunjab, India2 75.617 May33.52.3×
ChittorgarhRajasthan, India1 82.222 May36.52.3×
BaddiHimachal Pradesh, India1 115.021 May52.32.2×
BathindaPunjab, India1 98.524 May44.82.2×

Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.

Against other episodes in India

Number 37 of 54 episodes in India since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 54.

Use this page

SmogRank, North-western India, May 2025: 11 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 20 to 22 May 2025, smogrank.com/episodes/2025-05-north-western-india-2 (accessed 2 October 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.