Is the air in Brussels safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Brussels is 55, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Brussels?

Sat 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 57. The worst hour is around Sat 01:00, at 72.

What is the main pollutant in Brussels?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 12 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

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

About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Brussels improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 44, against 81 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Brussels air quality

Belgium · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 18:00 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: 55–72US AQI, highest around Sat 01:00
Best time outside: Sat 14:00–17:00US AQI about 57
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.1×17 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Brussels right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	12 µg/m³	Moderate	1.1×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	19 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	47 µg/m³	Good	1.4×
Ozone O₃	19 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	1.9 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	261 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.08	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 72 around Sat 01:00, lowest 24 around Sun 12:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Brussels

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	29–71	Moderate	23:00	10	1 Low
Sat 14 Nov	56–72	Moderate	1:00	17	1 Low
Sun 15 Nov	24–58	Moderate	0:00	5.8	0 Low
Mon 16 Nov	23–44	Good	23:00	4.9	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	51–81	Moderate	23:00	16	1 Low

Common questions about the air in Brussels

Is the air in Brussels safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Brussels is 55, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Brussels?
Sat 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 57. The worst hour is around Sat 01:00, at 72.
What is the main pollutant in Brussels?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 12 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Brussels's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Brussels's air?
About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Brussels improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 44, against 81 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Brussels

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
41B004 - STE.CATHERI OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 21 µg/m³ · Fri 17:00	0.3 km	9	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 5.8 µg/m³ · Fri 18:39 PM₁₀: 19 µg/m³ · Fri 18:39	0.6 km	32	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 4.0 µg/m³ · Fri 18:40 PM₁₀: 9.6 µg/m³ · Fri 18:40	0.7 km	22	Good

Air quality near Brussels

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Hamburg (31); worst: London (58). The tick on each bar is Brussels, at 55.

Amsterdam 173 km N 38 Good
Paris 264 km SW 55 Moderate
Frankfurt 317 km E 44 Good
London 321 km W 58 Moderate
Hamburg 488 km NE 31 Good
Zurich 492 km SE 46 Good

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 50.85°N, 4.35°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.