Is the air in Colombo safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Colombo is 73, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Colombo?

Sat 03:00–6:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 52. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 80.

What is the main pollutant in Colombo?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 21 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

About at the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 15 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 Colombo's air?

About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Colombo improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 76, against 152 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Colombo air quality

Sri Lanka · 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: 51–80US AQI, highest around Sat 21:00
Best time outside: Sat 03:00–6:00US AQI about 52
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.0×15 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.7 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Colombo right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	21 µg/m³	Moderate	1.0×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	24 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	29 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Ozone O₃	31 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	6.9 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	590 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.24	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 93 around Sun 21:00, lowest 51 around Sat 04:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Colombo

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 200.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	56–76	Moderate	20:00	17	8 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	51–81	Moderate	22:00	16	5 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	62–99	Moderate	22:00	20	5 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	58–112	Sensitive	11:00	25	8 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	84–152	Unhealthy	22:00	35	7 High

Common questions about the air in Colombo

Is the air in Colombo safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Colombo is 73, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Colombo?
Sat 03:00–6:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 52. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 80.
What is the main pollutant in Colombo?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 21 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Colombo's air compare with the WHO guideline?
About at the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 15 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 Colombo's air?
About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Colombo improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 76, against 152 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Air quality near Colombo

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Chennai (59); worst: Jhargram (212). The tick on each bar is Colombo, at 73.

Chennai 686 km N 59 Moderate
Bengaluru 716 km N 68 Moderate
Hyderabad 1,172 km N 152 Unhealthy
Pune 1,444 km NW 119 Sensitive
Mumbai 1,548 km NW 119 Sensitive
Jhargram 1,887 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 6.93°N, 79.86°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.