Islamabad air quality
Pakistan · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · updated Sun 05:00 local time
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion.
- Next 24 hours
- 84–153US AQI, highest around Sun 18:00
- Best time outside
- Mon 02:00–5:00US AQI about 85
- PM2.5 vs WHO guideline
- 1.7×26 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
- Cigarette equivalent
- ≈ 1.2 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb
- European AQI
- Moderatelevel 3 of 6
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Pollutants in Islamabad right now
| Pollutant | Now | Next 24 h vs WHO | US AQI band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 38 µg/m³ | 1.7× | Sensitive |
| Coarse particles (PM10) | 41 µg/m³ | 0.6× | Good |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 52 µg/m³ | 1.1× | Good |
| Ozone (O3) | 6.0 µg/m³ | 1.7× | Good |
| Sulphur dioxide (SO2) | 3.7 µg/m³ | 0.2× | Good |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 427 µg/m³ | 0.2× | Good |
| Desert dust | 5 µg/m³ | ||
| Smoke and haze (aerosol optical depth) | 0.20 | ||
| UV index | 0.0 |
“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 PM2.5, 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.
Next 48 hours
Hourly US AQI. Highest 181 around Mon 18:00, lowest 80 around Mon 07:00.
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 | PM2.5 avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 27 Sept | 93–153 | 30 | ||
| Mon 28 Sept | 80–181 | 39 | ||
| Tue 29 Sept | 109–154 | 43 | ||
| Wed 30 Sept | 112–136 | 42 | ||
| Thu 1 Oct | 114–153 | 35 |
Common questions about the air in Islamabad
Is the air in Islamabad safe today?
Not for sensitive groups. Right now the US AQI in Islamabad is 110, which counts as unhealthy for sensitive groups. Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion. It is expected to reach 153 (unhealthy) around Sun 18:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Islamabad?
Mon 02:00–5:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 85. The worst hour is around Sun 18:00, at 153.
What is the main pollutant in Islamabad?
Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 38 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?
1.7 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 26 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Islamabad's air?
About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 26 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?
Wednesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 136, against 181 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.
Measured near Islamabad
| Station | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor | 44 | Sun 04:47 |
| Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor | 33 | Sun 04:48 |
| Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor | 45 | Sun 04:47 |
Air quality near Islamabad
- Lahore 270 km SE
- Kabul 367 km W
- Chandigarh 480 km SE
- Delhi 689 km SE
- Gurugram 693 km SE
- Ghaziabad 697 km SE
About this forecast
Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (10 km inside Europe), refreshed twice a day. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown; ground stations, where there are any nearby, show what monitors actually measure. The US AQI follows the US EPA scale and the European AQI the EEA bands. Readings for 33.68°N, 73.05°E, updated 2026-09-27 00:00 UTC.