When is the best time to be outside in Addis Ababa?

Sat 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 43. The worst hour is around Sat 00:00, at 111.

What is the main pollutant in Addis Ababa?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 21 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Addis Ababa's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.4 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 21 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Addis Ababa's air?

About 1.0 cigarette. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 21 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Addis Ababa improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 92, against 115 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Addis Ababa air quality

Q: Is the air in Addis Ababa safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Addis Ababa is 73, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 111 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 00:00.

Ethiopia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 20:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 41–111US AQI, highest around Sat 00:00
Best time outside: Sat 16:00–19:00US AQI about 43
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.4×21 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.0 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Addis Ababa. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Addis Ababa right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	21 µg/m³	Moderate	1.4×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	25 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	7.4 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Ozone O₃	62 µg/m³	Good	0.9×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	2.2 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	581 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.11	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	9 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 111 around Sat 00:00, lowest 41 around Sat 18:00.

50100

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Addis Ababa

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	26–109	Sensitive	23:00	11	9 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	41–111	Sensitive	0:00	19	12 Extreme
Sun 15 Nov	55–92	Moderate	23:00	18	12 Extreme
Mon 16 Nov	67–105	Sensitive	23:00	26	10 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	64–115	Sensitive	7:00	26	9 Very high

Common questions about the air in Addis Ababa

Is the air in Addis Ababa safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Addis Ababa is 73, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 111 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 00:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Addis Ababa?
Sat 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 43. The worst hour is around Sat 00:00, at 111.
What is the main pollutant in Addis Ababa?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 21 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Addis Ababa's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.4 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 21 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Addis Ababa's air?
About 1.0 cigarette. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 21 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Addis Ababa improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 92, against 115 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Air quality near Addis Ababa

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Nairobi (54); worst: Riyadh (1555). The tick on each bar is Addis Ababa, at 73.

Khartoum 988 km NW 59 Moderate
Nairobi 1,165 km S 54 Moderate
Kampala 1,181 km SW 83 Moderate
Riyadh 1,938 km NE 1555 Hazardous
Doha 2,258 km NE 69 Moderate
Abu Dhabi 2,386 km NE 70 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 9.01°N, 38.76°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.