When is the best time to be outside in Johannesburg?

Sat 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 55. The worst hour is around Sat 02:00, at 160.

What is the main pollutant in Johannesburg?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 13 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 28 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2, O3 and SO2 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

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

About 1.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 28 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Johannesburg improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 77, against 160 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Johannesburg air quality

Q: Is the air in Johannesburg safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Johannesburg is 59, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 160 (unhealthy) around Sat 02:00.

South Africa · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 19:00 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: 52–160US AQI, highest around Sat 02:00
Best time outside: Sat 16:00–19:00US AQI about 55
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.9×28 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.3 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Johannesburg right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	13 µg/m³	Moderate	1.9×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	13 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	29 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Ozone O₃	74 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	24 µg/m³	Good	1.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	195 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.17	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 160 around Sat 02:00, lowest 38 around Sun 07:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for Johannesburg

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	30–148	Sensitive	23:00	13	13 Extreme
Sat 14 Nov	52–160	Unhealthy	2:00	25	11 Extreme
Sun 15 Nov	38–77	Moderate	22:00	11	12 Extreme
Mon 16 Nov	53–85	Moderate	23:00	15	11 Extreme
Tue 17 Nov	64–119	Sensitive	11:00	25	10 Very high

Common questions about the air in Johannesburg

Is the air in Johannesburg safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Johannesburg is 59, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 160 (unhealthy) around Sat 02:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Johannesburg?
Sat 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 55. The worst hour is around Sat 02:00, at 160.
What is the main pollutant in Johannesburg?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 13 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Johannesburg's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 28 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂, O₃ and SO₂ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Johannesburg's air?
About 1.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 28 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Johannesburg improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 77, against 160 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Johannesburg

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 7.3 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	11 km	41	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ · Fri 19:39 PM₁₀: 16 µg/m³ · Fri 19:39	21 km	39	Good
Kliprivier OpenAQ, reference monitor O₃: 39 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00 SO₂: 4.3 µg/m³ · Fri 19:00	24 km	18	Good

Air quality near Johannesburg

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Kinshasa (44); worst: Kampala (83). The tick on each bar is Johannesburg, at 59.

Cape Town 1,262 km SW 63 Moderate
Kinshasa 2,776 km NW 44 Good
Nairobi 2,925 km N 54 Moderate
Kampala 2,992 km N 83 Moderate
Addis Ababa 4,083 km N 73 Moderate
Lagos 4,508 km NW 57 Moderate

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 26.20°S, 28.05°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.