In Pakistan, officials in Lahore have closed schools, markets and parks after the city of 11 million people recorded some of the worst air quality in the world. On Saturday, the government turned to cloud-seeding technology in an unsuccessful attempt to use artificial rains to drive down air pollution. Local environmentalists blame poor government planning for the acrid air in Lahore, which has lost three-quarters of its tree canopy in recent decades.

Mohammad Salahuddin: “This weather is causing eye and throat irritation to everyone. It is damaging our health. This smog has been happening for the last five, seven years. It did not happen before that. This is related to climate change. We ought to plant trees and keep our atmosphere clean.”