Is the air in Barcelona safe today?

Yes. Right now the US AQI in Barcelona is 45, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 73 (moderate) around Fri 23:00.

When is the best time to be outside in Barcelona?

Sat 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 37. The worst hour is around Fri 23:00, at 73.

What is the main pollutant in Barcelona?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.1 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Barcelona's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Barcelona's air?

About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Barcelona improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 58, against 76 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Barcelona air quality

Spain · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 18:00 local time

Good

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Great air. A perfect time to be outside.

Next 24 hours: 36–73US AQI, highest around Fri 23:00
Best time outside: Sat 14:00–17:00US AQI about 37
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.8×13 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.6 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Barcelona right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	8.1 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	16 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	49 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Ozone O₃	25 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	5.5 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	209 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.03	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 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 76 around Sat 23:00, lowest 21 around Sun 12:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Barcelona

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	17–73	Moderate	23:00	7.0	2 Low
Sat 14 Nov	36–76	Moderate	23:00	13	2 Low
Sun 15 Nov	21–73	Moderate	0:00	8.8	2 Low
Mon 16 Nov	20–76	Moderate	22:00	9.4	2 Low
Tue 17 Nov	23–58	Moderate	0:00	5.0	2 Low

Common questions about the air in Barcelona

Is the air in Barcelona safe today?
Yes. Right now the US AQI in Barcelona is 45, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 73 (moderate) around Fri 23:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Barcelona?
Sat 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 37. The worst hour is around Fri 23:00, at 73.
What is the main pollutant in Barcelona?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.1 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Barcelona's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Barcelona's air?
About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Barcelona improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 58, against 76 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Barcelona

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 0.6 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00	1.0 km	3	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 2.3 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00	1.9 km	13	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 8.8 µg/m³ · Fri 18:38 PM₁₀: 37 µg/m³ · Fri 18:38	3.1 km	49	Good

Air quality near Barcelona

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Madrid (27); worst: Milan (61). The tick on each bar is Barcelona, at 45.

Marseille 338 km NE 46 Good
Madrid 505 km W 27 Good
Algiers 521 km S 31 Good
Lyon 532 km NE 40 Good
Milan 725 km NE 61 Moderate
Paris 831 km N 55 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS Europe and 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 41.39°N, 2.17°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.