SmogRank / Episodes / India
North-western India, May 2026
For 6 days, from 23 to 28 May 2026, 17 cities in India had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Charkhi Dādri, Haryana, India: 212.0 µg/m³ on 25 May, about 2.8× its usual 75.1.
No cause named We have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached 17 in 1 country
Days 6 23 to 28 May 2026
Worst day 25 May 8 cities counted
Furthest above usual 5.2× Greater Noida
Day by day
Play 25 May 8 cities at twice their usual or more
Sīkar Chūru Narnaul Jaipur Bhiwāni Hisar Alwar Ajmer Dausa Nāgaur Fatehābād Sirsa Dhāruhera Bhiwadi Tonk Mānesar Jīnd Hanumāngarh Bahadurgarh Gurugram Najafgarh Aya Nagar Bawāna Dera Māndi Narela Sonīpat Palwal Delhi Sawai Madhopur Faridabad Noida Loni Karauli Panipat Ghāziābād Sri Ganganagar Bharatpur Būndi Vrindāvan Karnāl Bhilwara Nandri Thānesar Jodhpur Khurja Bulandshahr Patiāla Kota Pāli Agra Ambāla Muzaffarnagar Khanna Chittorgarh Yamuna Nagar Rājsamand Ludhiana Mohali Panchkula Chandigarh Ropar Gwalior Baddi Jalor Morādābād Dehradun Sirohi Bahawalpur Rishīkesh Jhānsi Bārmer Multan Rahim Yar Khan Bareilly Bāghpat Bikaner Meerut Jaisalmer Fīrozābād Jhunjhunūn Gobindgarh Bathinda Kaithal Bārān Charkhi Dādri Hāpur Dādri Dhaulpur Rohtak Greater Noida 20 May 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 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
Gobindgarh Gobindgarh, 20 May: 127.0 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Gobindgarh, 21 May: 179.0 µg/m³, 2.9× usual Gobindgarh, 22 May: 96.2 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Gobindgarh, 23 May: 95.2 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Gobindgarh, 24 May: 104.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Gobindgarh, 25 May: 137.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Gobindgarh, 26 May: 153.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Gobindgarh, 27 May: 122.0 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Gobindgarh, 28 May: no reading Gobindgarh, 29 May: no reading Gobindgarh, 30 May: no reading Gobindgarh, 31 May: no reading Charkhi Dādri Charkhi Dādri, 20 May: 134.0 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Charkhi Dādri, 21 May: 206.0 µg/m³, 2.7× usual Charkhi Dādri, 22 May: 131.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Charkhi Dādri, 23 May: 187.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Charkhi Dādri, 24 May: 178.0 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Charkhi Dādri, 25 May: 212.0 µg/m³, 2.8× usual Charkhi Dādri, 26 May: 54.9 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Charkhi Dādri, 27 May: 62.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Charkhi Dādri, 28 May: 58.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Charkhi Dādri, 29 May: 27.6 µg/m³, 0.4× usual Charkhi Dādri, 30 May: 80.8 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Charkhi Dādri, 31 May: 58.0 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Jaisalmer Jaisalmer, 20 May: 47.7 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Jaisalmer, 21 May: 64.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Jaisalmer, 22 May: 38.3 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Jaisalmer, 23 May: 80.8 µg/m³, 2.8× usual Jaisalmer, 24 May: 67.2 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Jaisalmer, 25 May: 56.5 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Jaisalmer, 26 May: 33.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Jaisalmer, 27 May: 30.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Jaisalmer, 28 May: 29.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Jaisalmer, 29 May: 30.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Jaisalmer, 30 May: 75.2 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Jaisalmer, 31 May: 50.3 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Fīrozābād Fīrozābād, 20 May: 43.1 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Fīrozābād, 21 May: 51.3 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Fīrozābād, 22 May: 45.4 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Fīrozābād, 23 May: 59.9 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Fīrozābād, 24 May: 45.7 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Fīrozābād, 25 May: 48.3 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Fīrozābād, 26 May: 38.8 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Fīrozābād, 27 May: 40.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Fīrozābād, 28 May: 38.5 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Fīrozābād, 29 May: 9.6 µg/m³, 0.4× usual Fīrozābād, 30 May: 18.7 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Fīrozābād, 31 May: 16.6 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Dhaulpur Dhaulpur, 20 May: 31.8 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Dhaulpur, 21 May: 29.8 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Dhaulpur, 22 May: 55.9 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Dhaulpur, 23 May: no reading Dhaulpur, 24 May: 74.7 µg/m³, 2.9× usual Dhaulpur, 25 May: 70.8 µg/m³, 2.8× usual Dhaulpur, 26 May: 69.2 µg/m³, 2.7× usual Dhaulpur, 27 May: 76.0 µg/m³, 3.0× usual Dhaulpur, 28 May: 62.6 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Dhaulpur, 29 May: 40.3 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Dhaulpur, 30 May: no reading Dhaulpur, 31 May: 38.4 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Bārān Bārān, 20 May: 24.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Bārān, 21 May: 28.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Bārān, 22 May: 43.0 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Bārān, 23 May: 70.0 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Bārān, 24 May: 68.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Bārān, 25 May: 44.1 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Bārān, 26 May: 67.8 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Bārān, 27 May: 48.5 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Bārān, 28 May: 27.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Bārān, 29 May: 24.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Bārān, 30 May: 13.1 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Bārān, 31 May: 16.6 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Hāpur Hāpur, 20 May: 53.7 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Hāpur, 21 May: 56.9 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Hāpur, 22 May: 52.8 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Hāpur, 23 May: 68.9 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Hāpur, 24 May: 74.5 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Hāpur, 25 May: 56.1 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Hāpur, 26 May: 85.7 µg/m³, 2.7× usual Hāpur, 27 May: 92.5 µg/m³, 2.9× usual Hāpur, 28 May: no reading Hāpur, 29 May: no reading Hāpur, 30 May: 24.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Hāpur, 31 May: 26.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bikaner Bikaner, 20 May: 19.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bikaner, 21 May: no reading Bikaner, 22 May: 48.8 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Bikaner, 23 May: 31.5 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bikaner, 24 May: 56.8 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Bikaner, 25 May: 30.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bikaner, 26 May: 28.0 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Bikaner, 27 May: 22.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Bikaner, 28 May: 21.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bikaner, 29 May: 30.5 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bikaner, 30 May: 58.9 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Bikaner, 31 May: 20.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Rohtak Rohtak, 20 May: no reading Rohtak, 21 May: 53.2 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Rohtak, 22 May: 39.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Rohtak, 23 May: 58.9 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Rohtak, 24 May: 37.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Rohtak, 25 May: 124.0 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Rohtak, 26 May: 72.6 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Rohtak, 27 May: 70.5 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Rohtak, 28 May: 75.6 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Rohtak, 29 May: 31.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Rohtak, 30 May: 32.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Rohtak, 31 May: 17.8 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Kaithal Kaithal, 20 May: no reading Kaithal, 21 May: no reading Kaithal, 22 May: 89.3 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Kaithal, 23 May: 50.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Kaithal, 24 May: 89.2 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Kaithal, 25 May: 110.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Kaithal, 26 May: 114.0 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Kaithal, 27 May: 95.0 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Kaithal, 28 May: 133.0 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Kaithal, 29 May: 72.4 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Kaithal, 30 May: 59.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Kaithal, 31 May: 49.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Meerut Meerut, 20 May: 50.0 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Meerut, 21 May: 58.4 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Meerut, 22 May: 47.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Meerut, 23 May: 49.0 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Meerut, 24 May: 51.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Meerut, 25 May: 75.7 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Meerut, 26 May: 44.4 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Meerut, 27 May: 75.7 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Meerut, 28 May: 48.3 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Meerut, 29 May: 22.1 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Meerut, 30 May: 20.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Meerut, 31 May: 16.3 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Bāghpat Bāghpat, 20 May: 48.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Bāghpat, 21 May: 42.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bāghpat, 22 May: 41.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Bāghpat, 23 May: 57.6 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Bāghpat, 24 May: 45.4 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Bāghpat, 25 May: 74.2 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Bāghpat, 26 May: 55.3 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Bāghpat, 27 May: 81.3 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Bāghpat, 28 May: no reading Bāghpat, 29 May: no reading Bāghpat, 30 May: no reading Bāghpat, 31 May: 31.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Bareilly Bareilly, 20 May: 22.3 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Bareilly, 21 May: 27.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Bareilly, 22 May: 30.0 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Bareilly, 23 May: 27.1 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Bareilly, 24 May: 23.1 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Bareilly, 25 May: 33.4 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Bareilly, 26 May: 28.9 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Bareilly, 27 May: 18.9 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bareilly, 28 May: 17.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Bareilly, 29 May: 19.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bareilly, 30 May: 13.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bareilly, 31 May: 11.4 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Dādri Dādri, 20 May: 53.9 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Dādri, 21 May: 60.1 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Dādri, 22 May: 66.2 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Dādri, 23 May: 65.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Dādri, 24 May: 78.4 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Dādri, 25 May: 79.7 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Dādri, 26 May: 132.0 µg/m³, 3.0× usual Dādri, 27 May: 120.0 µg/m³, 2.7× usual Dādri, 28 May: 64.3 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Dādri, 29 May: no reading Dādri, 30 May: 26.5 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Dādri, 31 May: no reading Bathinda Bathinda, 20 May: 38.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Bathinda, 21 May: 46.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Bathinda, 22 May: 66.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Bathinda, 23 May: 31.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bathinda, 24 May: 53.6 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Bathinda, 25 May: 65.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Bathinda, 26 May: 81.3 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Bathinda, 27 May: 98.5 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Bathinda, 28 May: 101.0 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Bathinda, 29 May: 85.7 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Bathinda, 30 May: 41.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Bathinda, 31 May: 45.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Jhunjhunūn Jhunjhunūn, 20 May: 28.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Jhunjhunūn, 21 May: 38.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Jhunjhunūn, 22 May: 36.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Jhunjhunūn, 23 May: 42.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Jhunjhunūn, 24 May: 48.7 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Jhunjhunūn, 25 May: 50.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Jhunjhunūn, 26 May: 55.1 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Jhunjhunūn, 27 May: 81.2 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Jhunjhunūn, 28 May: 75.7 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Jhunjhunūn, 29 May: 27.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Jhunjhunūn, 30 May: 33.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Jhunjhunūn, 31 May: 16.9 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Greater Noida Greater Noida, 20 May: 47.6 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Greater Noida, 21 May: 55.3 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Greater Noida, 22 May: 47.2 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Greater Noida, 23 May: 58.3 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Greater Noida, 24 May: 49.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Greater Noida, 25 May: 63.1 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Greater Noida, 26 May: 63.6 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Greater Noida, 27 May: no reading Greater Noida, 28 May: 174.0 µg/m³, 5.2× usual Greater Noida, 29 May: 15.4 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Greater Noida, 30 May: 20.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Greater Noida, 31 May: 18.3 µg/m³, 0.5× usual 20 May 22 24 26 28 30 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. Good 0–50
Moderate 51–100
Sensitive groups 101–150
Unhealthy 151–200
Very unhealthy 201–300
Hazardous 301+
Every city it reached
City Days Highest Usual Above usual
Greater Noida Uttar Pradesh, India 1 28 May 33.7 5.2× Rohtak Haryana, India 2 25 May 37.1 3.3× Dādri Uttar Pradesh, India 2 26 May 43.9 3.0× Dhaulpur Rajasthan, India 5 27 May 25.4 3.0× Gobindgarh Punjab, India 3 21 May 61.4 2.9× Hāpur Uttar Pradesh, India 4 27 May 32.3 2.9× Jaisalmer Rajasthan, India 1 23 May 28.6 2.8× Charkhi Dādri Haryana, India 3 25 May 75.1 2.8× Kaithal Haryana, India 3 28 May 50.3 2.6× Bārān Rajasthan, India 3 23 May 26.8 2.6× Bathinda Punjab, India 2 28 May 39.0 2.6× Jhunjhunūn Rajasthan, India 2 27 May 34.2 2.4× Meerut Uttar Pradesh, India 2 25 May 32.3 2.3× Fīrozābād Uttar Pradesh, India 1 23 May 25.6 2.3× Bikaner Rajasthan, India 1 30 May 25.5 2.3× Bāghpat Uttar Pradesh, India 2 27 May 36.2 2.2× Bareilly Uttar Pradesh, India 1 25 May 15.9 2.1×
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 13 of 54 episodes in India since our records began, by cities reached.
North-western India, October 2025 170 North-western India, September 2026 57 North-western India, July 2026 51 North-western India, June 2025 47 North-eastern India, March and April 2025 45 North-western India, November 2025 27 North-western India, April 2026 26 North-western India, April and May 2025 26 North-western India and Pakistan, March 2026 25 North-western India, May 2025 23 North-eastern India, July 2026 22 North-eastern India, April 2025 20 North-western India, May 2026 17 Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 54 .
Use this page SmogRank, North-western India, May 2026: 17 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 23 to 28 May 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-05-north-western-india (accessed 3 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.
