Is the air in Beirut safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Beirut is 83, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Beirut?

Sat 09:00–12:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 80. The worst hour is around Fri 21:00, at 99.

What is the main pollutant in Beirut?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 26 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 and SO2 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

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

About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Beirut improve this week?

Saturday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 107, against 124 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Beirut air quality

Lebanon · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 19:00 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: 78–99US AQI, highest around Fri 21:00
Best time outside: Sat 09:00–12:00US AQI about 80
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.8×27 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.2 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Beirut right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	26 µg/m³	Moderate	1.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	37 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	20 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Ozone O₃	52 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	58 µg/m³	Good	1.6×
Carbon monoxide CO	227 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.11	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	1 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 116 around Sun 02:00, lowest 63 around Sun 17:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Beirut

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	68–110	Sensitive	0:00	26	4 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	78–107	Sensitive	23:00	28	4 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	63–116	Sensitive	2:00	28	4 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	57–124	Sensitive	22:00	23	4 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	69–119	Sensitive	8:00	30	3 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Beirut

Is the air in Beirut safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Beirut is 83, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Beirut?
Sat 09:00–12:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 80. The worst hour is around Fri 21:00, at 99.
What is the main pollutant in Beirut?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 26 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Beirut's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ and SO₂ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Beirut's air?
About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Beirut improve this week?
Saturday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 107, against 124 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Beirut

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	1.4 km	57	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 29 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	1.8 km	88	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 19 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	2.0 km	69	Moderate

Air quality near Beirut

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Baghdad (50); worst: Cairo (74). The tick on each bar is Beirut, at 83.

Tel Aviv 212 km S 71 Moderate
Amman 220 km S 60 Moderate
Cairo 587 km SW 74 Moderate
Ankara 711 km N 62 Moderate
Baghdad 823 km E 50 Good
Istanbul 978 km NW 52 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 33.89°N, 35.50°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.