When is the best time to be outside in Beijing?

Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 195. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 638.

What is the main pollutant in Beijing?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 209 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

14 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 215 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO are also forecast above their guideline levels.

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

About 9.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 215 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Beijing improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 380, against 638 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Beijing air quality

Q: Is the air in Beijing safe today?

No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Beijing is 283, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one. It is expected to reach 638 (hazardous) around Sat 21:00.

China · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 01:00 local time

283

Very unhealthy

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.

Next 24 hours: 194–638US AQI, highest around Sat 21:00
Best time outside: Sat 12:00–15:00US AQI about 195
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 14×215 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 9.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Beijing right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	209 µg/m³	Very unhealthy	14×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	211 µg/m³	Sensitive	4.9×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	63 µg/m³	Good	3.0×
Ozone O₃	0.0 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	54 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Carbon monoxide CO	4,430 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Aerosol optical depth	1.03	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 638 around Sat 21:00, lowest 73 around Sun 14:00.

50100150200300

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

5-day air quality forecast for Beijing

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 650.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Sat 14 Nov	194–638	Hazardous	21:00	214	2 Low
Sun 15 Nov	73–380	Hazardous	0:00	134	2 Low
Mon 16 Nov	106–494	Hazardous	23:00	127	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	73–481	Hazardous	0:00	169	1 Low

Common questions about the air in Beijing

Is the air in Beijing safe today?
No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Beijing is 283, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one. It is expected to reach 638 (hazardous) around Sat 21:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Beijing?
Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 195. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 638.
What is the main pollutant in Beijing?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 209 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Beijing's air compare with the WHO guideline?
14 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 215 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂ and CO are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Beijing's air?
About 9.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 215 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Beijing improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 380, against 638 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Beijing

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 98 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	4.8 km	181	Unhealthy
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	7.1 km	33	Good

Air quality near Beijing

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Ulaanbaatar (65); worst: Xi'an (180). The tick on each bar is Beijing, at 283.

Xi'an 905 km SW 180 Unhealthy
Seoul 952 km E 158 Unhealthy
Wuhan 1,053 km S 168 Unhealthy
Shanghai 1,067 km SE 152 Unhealthy
Ulaanbaatar 1,168 km NW 65 Moderate
Busan 1,233 km E 126 Sensitive

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 39.90°N, 116.41°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.