The air pollution crisis in the North showed little sign of improving yesterday, with Chiang Mai still ranking among the top five cities in the world with the worst pollution levels.
According to the air quality monitor on IQAir.com, Chiang Mai had the fifth worst air quality in the world yesterday, with the province's Air Quality Index (AQI) measuring 186 at 8am.
The province's PM2.5 concentration hovered around 154.9 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), at least 24.8 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines.
Chiang Mai University's Climate Change Data Centre (cmuccdc.org) reported at 8am that the worst pollution was detected in tambon Ping Khong of Chiang Dao district, with the PM2.5 level jumping to 603 µg/m³.
The Pollution Control Department (PCD) also reported that almost every area in Chiang Mai had red-level pollution, including tambon Muang Na of Chiang Dao district, where the pollution was measured at 157.8 µg/m³.
Meanwhile, in Phayao, the venue for yesterday's mobile cabinet meeting, the PCD reported that the province had red-level pollution, with particles at 99.6 µg/m³.
The source said that there was a downpour at the meeting venue at Phayao University in the early morning. With that said, when the media asked about the pollution situation, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan responded by saying that there was no pollution in Phayao.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, meanwhile, added that the pollution yesterday had improved due to the downpour, saying that he had breakfast at Kwan Phayao Lakeside before arriving at the meeting venue.
In Mae Hong Son, the wildfire situation in the upper part of the region led to the province having pollution levels measured at 675 µg/m³ at Doi Kong Mu Stupa. The very high levels prompted Chiang Mai University's Research Institute for Health Sciences to warn people to refrain from doing outdoor activities.
The Faculty of Medicine's Otolaryngology said that the number of patients who received treatment for abnormal nosebleeds increased twofold since the beginning of February.
The Northern Meteorological Centre said that the northern region will likely have rain tomorrow and Friday, which will hopefully ease pollution levels.