When is the best time to be outside in Islamabad?

Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 77. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 171.

What is the main pollutant in Islamabad?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 34 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

2.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 38 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 Islamabad's air?

About 1.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 38 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Islamabad improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 138, against 171 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Islamabad air quality

Q: Is the air in Islamabad safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Islamabad is 98, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 171 (unhealthy) around Sat 21:00.

Pakistan · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 22:00 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: 77–171US AQI, highest around Sat 21:00
Best time outside: Sat 12:00–15:00US AQI about 77
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 2.5×38 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.7 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Islamabad right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	34 µg/m³	Moderate	2.5×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	40 µg/m³	Good	1.0×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	34 µg/m³	Good	1.8×
Ozone O₃	47 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	5.9 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Carbon monoxide CO	1,083 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Aerosol optical depth	0.39	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	11 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 171 around Sat 21:00, lowest 54 around Sun 05:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for Islamabad

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	71–138	Sensitive	1:00	33	2 Low
Sat 14 Nov	77–171	Unhealthy	21:00	42	4 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	54–156	Unhealthy	21:00	27	3 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	59–147	Sensitive	20:00	30	4 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	61–164	Unhealthy	20:00	38	4 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Islamabad

Is the air in Islamabad safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Islamabad is 98, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 171 (unhealthy) around Sat 21:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Islamabad?
Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 77. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 171.
What is the main pollutant in Islamabad?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 34 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Islamabad's air compare with the WHO guideline?
2.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 38 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 Islamabad's air?
About 1.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 38 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Islamabad improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 138, against 171 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Islamabad

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 132 µg/m³ · Fri 22:39 PM₁₀: 158 µg/m³ · Fri 22:39	2.0 km	208	Very unhealthy
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 75 µg/m³ · Fri 22:00	4.2 km	165	Unhealthy
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 76 µg/m³ · Fri 21:00	4.6 km	165	Unhealthy

Air quality near Islamabad

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Kabul (55); worst: Gurugram (216). The tick on each bar is Islamabad, at 98.

Lahore 270 km SE 174 Unhealthy
Kabul 367 km W 55 Moderate
Chandigarh 480 km SE 96 Moderate
Delhi 689 km SE 192 Unhealthy
Gurugram 693 km SE 216 Very unhealthy
Ghaziabad 697 km SE 189 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 33.68°N, 73.05°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.