Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative government said last year it would ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040.

The air quality levels in Delhi ranged from "very unhealthy" to "hazardous" on Friday as a steady breeze blew.

Many of Sri Lanka's fielders returned from lunch on the second day of the Test against India wearing masks amid visible haze at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Schools closed across large swathes of north India on Thursday as pollution hit hazardous levels for the third day, with growing calls for urgent government action to tackle what doctors are calling a public health emergency.

A thick brown smog hung over Delhi with residents reporting smarting in the eyes and irritation in the nose and throat.

Delhi's air quality typically worsens ahead of the onset of winter as cooler air traps pollutants near the ground, preventing them from dispersing into the atmosphere.

A dust storm enveloped a swathe of northern China on Thursday dragging down air quality and visibility and prompting warnings for children and old people to stay indoors.

The Chinese capital was on the second-highest orange smog alert in the depth of winter on Tuesday as city officials said the air quality was improving overall, citing data for the whole of last year.

Madrid on Thursday lifted an unprecedented ban on half of most private cars as pollution in the Spanish capital eased up.

Hospital visits spiked, roads were closed and flights cancelled on Monday as China choked under a vast cloud of toxic smog, with forecasters warning worse was yet to come.

Delhi's government announced Friday that it will install air purifiers and a mist-making device at major road intersections in the Indian capital to curb choking levels of pollution.

The sight of cars thundering down Paris's most famous boulevard was replaced on Sunday by people strolling, cycling and taking selfies in the sun as the Champs-Elysees went traffic-free.