NIGMI identifies weather as main cause of October smog in Tashkent

According to the institute, a cold anticyclone with pressure of up to 1,045 hPa persisted over the region on October 19–25, with almost no precipitation in Uzbekistan. On the night of October 25, the wind in Tashkent was blowing at a speed of 0.6–1.2 m/s, and a strong temperature inversion was recorded at the TV tower throughout the night: the gradient reached 4.2 degrees in the evening and 2.9 degrees in the morning. Over October 21–26, the daily average AQI in the capital rose from 93 to 164, an increase of 76%.

Laboratory analysis of 12 PM2.5 samples collected on October 12–16 showed that natural dust accounted for an average of 39.7% of the particles, while fuel combustion in industry, transport, and energy accounted for 42.6%. NIGMI noted that the samples were taken before the October 24–27 peak, so these shares cannot be directly transferred to those days.

According to IQAir, on October 26, the AQI reached 160 in Bishkek, 157 in Tashkent, and 149 in Shymkent; the institute cautions that the platform also uses low-cost sensors. Meanwhile, from January through October 19, the concentration of PM2.5 in Tashkent decreased by 28%, and PM10 by 32% compared to the same period in 2025. "A decrease in certain indicators does not mean that the problem of air pollution has been resolved," Abdulakhatov said.

The special air monitoring commission forecasts deterioration on the night of October 30: an increase in PM particle concentrations is expected after 21:00, with an "Unhealthy" AQI level at night and in the morning, which corresponds to the "orange" level on the national index.