Is the air in Canberra safe today?

Yes. Right now the US AQI in Canberra is 21, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside.

When is the best time to be outside in Canberra?

Sat 23:00–2:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 18. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 37.

What is the main pollutant in Canberra?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 3.7 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 2.9 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

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

About 0.1 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 2.9 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Canberra improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 24, against 37 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Canberra air quality

Australia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 04:00 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: 17–37US AQI, highest around Sat 12:00
Best time outside: Sat 23:00–2:00US AQI about 18
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.2×2.9 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.1 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Canberra right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	3.7 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	4.2 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	6.0 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Ozone O₃	43 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	0.8 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	92 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.06	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 37 around Sat 12:00, lowest 17 around Sun 00:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Canberra

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
Sat 14 Nov	19–37	Good	12:00	3.2	9 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	17–33	Good	12:00	1.5	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	17–24	Good	14:00	2.6	7 High
Tue 17 Nov	15–35	Good	22:00	3.3	10 Very high
Wed 18 Nov	26–33	Good	0:00	5.3	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Canberra

Is the air in Canberra safe today?
Yes. Right now the US AQI in Canberra is 21, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside.
When is the best time to be outside in Canberra?
Sat 23:00–2:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 18. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 37.
What is the main pollutant in Canberra?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 3.7 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Canberra's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 2.9 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Canberra's air?
About 0.1 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 2.9 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Canberra improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 24, against 37 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Canberra

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 1.9 µg/m³ · Sat 04:00	1.6 km	11	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 1.5 µg/m³ · Sat 04:38 PM₁₀: 5.0 µg/m³ · Sat 04:38	3.7 km	8	Good
Florey OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 7.9 µg/m³ · Sat 03:00 PM₁₀: 18 µg/m³ · Sat 03:00 NO₂: 3.8 µg/m³ · Sat 02:00 O₃: 57 µg/m³ · Sat 03:00	10 km	44	Good

Air quality near Canberra

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Adelaide (28); worst: Sydney (64). The tick on each bar is Canberra, at 21.

Sydney 247 km NE 64 Moderate
Melbourne 467 km SW 37 Good
Brisbane 944 km NE 31 Good
Adelaide 958 km W 28 Good
Auckland 2,304 km E 37 Good
Perth 3,088 km W 55 Moderate

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 35.28°S, 149.13°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.