Is the air in Cairo safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Cairo is 74, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Cairo?

Fri 21:00–0:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 67. The worst hour is around Sat 18:00, at 89.

What is the main pollutant in Cairo?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 22 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 22 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 Cairo's air?

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

Will air quality in Cairo improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 74, against 126 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Cairo air quality

Egypt · 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: 66–89US AQI, highest around Sat 18:00
Best time outside: Fri 21:00–0:00US AQI about 67
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.5×22 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 Cairo. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Cairo right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	22 µg/m³	Moderate	1.5×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	30 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	41 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Ozone O₃	59 µg/m³	Good	0.9×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	30 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Carbon monoxide CO	329 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.10	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	7 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 95 around Sat 19:00, lowest 66 around Fri 21:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Cairo

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	52–74	Moderate	19:00	14	5 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	67–95	Moderate	19:00	24	5 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	72–91	Moderate	8:00	27	5 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	62–126	Sensitive	19:00	24	4 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	68–101	Sensitive	8:00	24	5 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Cairo

Is the air in Cairo safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Cairo is 74, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Cairo?
Fri 21:00–0:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 67. The worst hour is around Sat 18:00, at 89.
What is the main pollutant in Cairo?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 22 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Cairo's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 22 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 Cairo's air?
About 1.0 cigarette. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 22 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Cairo improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 74, against 126 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Cairo

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 13 µg/m³ · Fri 18:56	0.4 km	59	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 15 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	39 km	63	Moderate

Air quality near Cairo

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Istanbul (52); worst: Beirut (83). The tick on each bar is Cairo, at 74.

Tel Aviv 407 km NE 71 Moderate
Amman 495 km NE 60 Moderate
Beirut 587 km NE 83 Moderate
Ankara 1,109 km N 62 Moderate
Athens 1,121 km NW 66 Moderate
Istanbul 1,236 km N 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 30.04°N, 31.24°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.