In the worst case of air pollution in the world, an area in Pakistan's Lahore recorded an AQI of nearly 1600 on Friday. According to Swiss monitor IQAir, the CERP Office area in Lahore had an AQI of 1587 on Friday morning.

Every year, Delhi and northern states battle hazardous air during the winter months of October to January due to plummeting temperatures, smoke, dust, low wind speed, vehicular emissions and crop stubble burning. This time, experts say that the condition is likely to get worse in the coming days.

A new report reveals the alarming levels of air pollution in the world's capital cities, with New Delhi topping the list with hazardous PM2.5 concentrations.

Delhi overtook Pakistan ’s Lahore as the world’s most polluted city in Swiss group IQAir’s live rankings, with an air quality index (AQI) score of more than 1,000, which is considered “hazardous”, but India ’s pollution authority said the AQI was around 350.

Delhi continues to battle severe air pollution, with the air quality index (AQI) remaining in the “severe” category for the third consecutive day. The AQI stands at 498, making Delhi the world’s second most polluted city, behind Lahore, Pakistan, which recorded an AQI of 770 at 7 am, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company.