As of October 26 this year, Tashkent had received only 3.9 millimeters of precipitation, compared with the monthlyaverage of 23.7 millimeters. This means that rainfall was nearly six times below the norm. The lack of precipitation slowsthe natural removal of airborne dust particles, allowing them to accumulate in the atmosphere.

According to scientific observations, natural atmospheric circulation patterns have also changed over the past decade. Inparticular, during the colder half of the year, the frequency of adverse meteorological conditions associated with strongwinds and insufficient precipitation has increased by 57% compared with previous years. Such conditions can hinder theatmosphere’s natural self-cleansing processes.

The National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change monitors changes in air quality, the movement of naturalsources of pollution across different regions, and their impact on atmospheric conditions. This monitoring is carried outusing both ground-based monitoring stations and satellite observations.

Specialists assess changes in air quality using data from ground-based monitoring stations as well as satellite imagery.From October 1 to 26, satellite images were analyzed using SILAM, an international computer modeling system designedto simulate atmospheric composition and forecast air quality. The resulting data were then compared with the Air QualityIndex (AQI).

The analysis showed that the AQI also increased during periods when dust masses moved into Tashkent and surroundingareas. For example, rainfall was recorded on October 4–5, when the AQI ranged from 66 to 71. In the following days, airquality deteriorated amid a lack of precipitation and the accumulation of airborne dust.

Satellite imagery obtained through the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites(EUMETSAT) and its Meteosat satellite system revealed large dust masses over Tashkent and surrounding areas onOctober 25–26. The phenomenon affected Tashkent city and Tashkent Region, as well as parts of Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions.

According to specialists, the effects of these dust masses and the adverse conditions contributing to air pollution maypersist until the beginning of next week.

It should be noted that the deterioration in air quality results from a combination of different factors. Therefore, anobjective assessment of the situation requires a comprehensive analysis of meteorological conditions, the movement ofdust masses and air quality monitoring data.