Is the air in Lucknow safe today?

No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Lucknow is 286, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.

When is the best time to be outside in Lucknow?

Sat 15:00–18:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 156. The worst hour is around Sat 00:00, at 298.

What is the main pollutant in Lucknow?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 211 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Lucknow's air compare with the WHO guideline?

8.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 133 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10, NO2 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Lucknow's air?

About 6.0 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 133 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Lucknow improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 152, against 298 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Lucknow air quality

India · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 22:30 local time

286

Very unhealthy

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.

Next 24 hours: 155–298US AQI, highest around Sat 00:00
Best time outside: Sat 15:00–18:00US AQI about 156
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 8.8×133 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 6.0 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Lucknow. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Lucknow right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	211 µg/m³	Very unhealthy	8.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	238 µg/m³	Sensitive	3.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	48 µg/m³	Good	1.1×
Ozone O₃	46 µg/m³	Good	1.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	39 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Carbon monoxide CO	992 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	1.04	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	50 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 298 around Sat 00:00, lowest 120 around Sun 15:00.

50100150200300

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Lucknow

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 300.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	205–294	Very unhealthy	23:00	165	3 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	155–298	Very unhealthy	0:00	120	4 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	120–164	Unhealthy	7:00	56	5 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	75–152	Unhealthy	0:00	32	6 High
Tue 17 Nov	89–156	Unhealthy	23:00	42	6 High

Common questions about the air in Lucknow

Is the air in Lucknow safe today?
No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Lucknow is 286, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.
When is the best time to be outside in Lucknow?
Sat 15:00–18:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 156. The worst hour is around Sat 00:00, at 298.
What is the main pollutant in Lucknow?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 211 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Lucknow's air compare with the WHO guideline?
8.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 133 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Lucknow's air?
About 6.0 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 133 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Lucknow improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 152, against 298 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Lucknow

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Lalbagh, Lucknow - CPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 100 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 PM₁₀: 315 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 NO₂: 22 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 O₃: 43 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 SO₂: 16 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 CO: 0.1 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30	1.0 km	182	Unhealthy
Central School, Lucknow - CPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 150 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 PM₁₀: 301 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 NO₂: 49 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 O₃: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 SO₂: 19 µg/m³ · Fri 21:30 CO: 3.2 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45	4.2 km	225	Very unhealthy
Talkatora District Industries Center, Lucknow - CPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 190 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 PM₁₀: 242 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 NO₂: 43 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 O₃: 22 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 SO₂: 63 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 CO: 1.4 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45	5.6 km	265	Very unhealthy

Air quality near Lucknow

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Kanpur (180); worst: Patna (273). The tick on each bar is Lucknow, at 286.

Kanpur 75 km SW 180 Unhealthy
Noida 397 km NW 212 Very unhealthy
Ghaziabad 399 km NW 189 Unhealthy
Delhi 417 km NW 192 Unhealthy
Gurugram 426 km NW 216 Very unhealthy
Patna 441 km E 273 Very unhealthy

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 26.85°N, 80.95°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.