ISTANBUL 

Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, India's capital New Delhi, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ranked the top three urban areas with the most polluted air globally, according to daily weather data on Tuesday.

Dhaka recorded the worst air quality at 8.33 a.m. (1433GMT) on Tuesday, scoring 239 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), according to the daily Dhaka Tribune.

Ho Chi Minh City in the Southeast Asian nation of Vietnam ranked second on the list with an AQI score of 214, while New Delhi ranked third with 198.

The AQI indicates the pollution levels in a city's air and highlights potential health risks for residents.

It has a range between zero to 500 -- the higher the number, the greater the pollution and health impact.

AirVisual, an independent provider of global air pollution figures, advised people in Ho Chi Minh city, Dhaka, and Delhi to avoid outdoor exercise, opt to close their windows to avoid dirty outdoor air and wear a mask outdoors and run an air purifier if possible.