Chiang Mai is top of the world’s ten cities with the highest levels of air pollution, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings today.

According to the IQAir website, the AQI reading in Chiang Mai is 200, followed by Tashkent in Uzbekistan at 193, 154 in Lahore in Pakistan, 160 in Beijing, 157 in Wuhan, 155 in Yangon, 154 in New Delhi, 154 in Dubai, 153 in Hang Zhou and 151 in Calcutta.

Thailand’s Pollution Control Department reported today that PM2.5 dust in eight northern provinces has reached the Red level, with the reading in Chiang Mai reaching 130.9µg/m³. The seven other provinces are Phayao, Nan, Lampang, Lamphun, Chiang Rai, Phrae and Mae Hong Son.

Meanwhile, a NASA research team is currently in Thailand undertaking four days of aerial surveys of air pollution, in cooperation with Geo-Informatics and Space Development Agency of the Thai Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovations.

Two NASA aircraft are at U-Tapao airport for the mission to survey atmospheric pollution, particularly in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Similar missions have been carried out in the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea. Members of the local media were invited to observe the operations of the NASA research team.