Is the air in Chennai safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Chennai is 59, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Chennai?

Sat 02:00–5:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 57. The worst hour is around Sat 19:00, at 96.

What is the main pollutant in Chennai?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 14 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.4 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O3 is also forecast above its guideline level.

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

About 0.9 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Chennai improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 65, against 150 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Chennai air quality

India · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 22:30 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: 57–96US AQI, highest around Sat 19:00
Best time outside: Sat 02:00–5:00US AQI about 57
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.4×20 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.9 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Chennai right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	14 µg/m³	Moderate	1.4×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	20 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	6.9 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Ozone O₃	67 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	3.2 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	212 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.21	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 129 around Sun 12:00, lowest 57 around Sat 02:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Chennai

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	52–65	Moderate	0:00	12	8 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	57–96	Moderate	19:00	22	9 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	90–129	Sensitive	12:00	38	4 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	127–150	Sensitive	12:00	50	7 High
Tue 17 Nov	133–146	Sensitive	0:00	51	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Chennai

Is the air in Chennai safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Chennai is 59, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Chennai?
Sat 02:00–5:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 57. The worst hour is around Sat 19:00, at 96.
What is the main pollutant in Chennai?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 14 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Chennai's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.4 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O₃ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Chennai's air?
About 0.9 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 20 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Chennai improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 65, against 150 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Chennai

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Royapuram, Chennai - TNPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM₁₀: 92 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 NO₂: 19 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 O₃: 28 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 SO₂: 5.4 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00 CO: 0.7 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00	3.2 km	69	Moderate
Kodungaiyur, Chennai - TNPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 36 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 PM₁₀: 59 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 NO₂: 19 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 O₃: 30 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 SO₂: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 CO: 1.1 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45	5.1 km	102	Sensitive
Arumbakkam, Chennai - TNPCB OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 40 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 PM₁₀: 109 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 NO₂: 37 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45 SO₂: 8.9 µg/m³ · Fri 21:45	6.7 km	112	Sensitive

Air quality near Chennai

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Bengaluru (68); worst: Jhargram (212). The tick on each bar is Chennai, at 59.

Bengaluru 290 km W 68 Moderate
Hyderabad 515 km N 152 Unhealthy
Colombo 686 km S 73 Moderate
Pune 914 km NW 119 Sensitive
Mumbai 1,033 km NW 119 Sensitive
Jhargram 1,260 km NE 212 Very unhealthy

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 13.08°N, 80.27°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.