Hanoi’s skies have been covered in dust and smog over the past few days.
At 9 am on September 19, the monitoring station Airvisual stated an average AQI of 160 in Hanoi. Hanoi was ranked as the third leading air polluting city in the world. The city of New Delhi in India ranked first with an AQI of 166. An AQI of above 100 is considered unhealthy for humans.
Furthermore, the monitoring system of PamAir showed the air quality at many districts like Tay Ho, Hoan Kiem was higher than the harmful level with an AQI of over 150. Other inner districts of Dong Da, Cau Giay, and Hai Ba Trung had lower AQI but were still harmful to people outdoors.
Thick smog covered high buildings in Tay Ho District on the morning of September 19.
Chuong Duong Bridge was still covered in smog at noon.
Children and the elderly are advised not to take part in outdoor activities in the early morning or late afternoon.
According to Hanoi’s Environmental Protection Department, the reason for this air pollution was the big difference in temperatures between day and night time (between 5-9 degrees). In this condition, pollutants could not diffuse and combined with smog, causing a thick atmosphere and reduced visibility.