Is the air in Dakar safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Dakar is 56, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Dakar?

Sat 01:00–4:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 55. The worst hour is around Sat 16:00, at 71.

What is the main pollutant in Dakar?

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 Dakar's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 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 Dakar's air?

About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Dakar improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 72, against 182 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Dakar air quality

Senegal · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 17:00 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: 55–71US AQI, highest around Sat 16:00
Best time outside: Sat 01:00–4:00US AQI about 55
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.9×13 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.6 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Dakar right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	12 µg/m³	Moderate	0.9×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	25 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	1.4 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Ozone O₃	52 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	0.6 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	159 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.13	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	15 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	1	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 75 around Sun 16:00, lowest 55 around Sat 01:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Dakar

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	56–72	Moderate	0:00	14	9 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	55–72	Moderate	17:00	15	9 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	63–85	Moderate	20:00	20	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	78–98	Moderate	8:00	27	9 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	79–182	Unhealthy	15:00	28	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Dakar

Is the air in Dakar safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Dakar is 56, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Dakar?
Sat 01:00–4:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 55. The worst hour is around Sat 16:00, at 71.
What is the main pollutant in Dakar?
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 Dakar's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 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 Dakar's air?
About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Dakar improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 72, against 182 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Dakar

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 6.5 µg/m³ · Fri 17:00	2.6 km	36	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 8.5 µg/m³ · Fri 17:00	4.6 km	47	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 27 µg/m³ · Fri 17:00	12 km	85	Moderate

Air quality near Dakar

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Madrid (27); worst: Abuja (118). The tick on each bar is Dakar, at 56.

Accra 2,144 km SE 29 Good
Casablanca 2,321 km NE 42 Good
Lagos 2,451 km E 57 Moderate
Abuja 2,775 km E 118 Sensitive
Lisbon 2,791 km N 42 Good
Madrid 3,154 km N 27 Good

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 14.72°N, 17.47°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.