Is the air in Kathmandu safe today?

No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Kathmandu is 204, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.

When is the best time to be outside in Kathmandu?

Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 168. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 214.

What is the main pollutant in Kathmandu?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 128 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

6.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 101 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

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

About 4.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 101 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Kathmandu improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 161, against 219 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Kathmandu air quality

Nepal · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 22:45 local time

204

Very unhealthy

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.

Next 24 hours: 167–214US AQI, highest around Sat 21:00
Best time outside: Sat 12:00–15:00US AQI about 168
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 6.8×101 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 4.6 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Kathmandu right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	128 µg/m³	Very unhealthy	6.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	147 µg/m³	Moderate	2.7×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	35 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Ozone O₃	73 µg/m³	Good	1.5×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	18 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Carbon monoxide CO	1,600 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Aerosol optical depth	0.84	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	39 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 219 around Sat 22:00, lowest 153 around Sun 13:00.

50100150200

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

5-day air quality forecast for Kathmandu

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 250.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	97–205	Very unhealthy	21:00	76	4 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	167–219	Very unhealthy	22:00	103	2 Low
Sun 15 Nov	153–214	Very unhealthy	0:00	94	3 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	95–183	Unhealthy	0:00	63	6 High
Tue 17 Nov	66–161	Unhealthy	7:00	43	5 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Kathmandu

Is the air in Kathmandu safe today?
No, it is a health alert. Right now the US AQI in Kathmandu is 204, which counts as very unhealthy. Health alert. Avoid outdoor activity, keep windows closed and run an air purifier if you have one.
When is the best time to be outside in Kathmandu?
Sat 12:00–15:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 168. The worst hour is around Sat 21:00, at 214.
What is the main pollutant in Kathmandu?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 128 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Kathmandu's air compare with the WHO guideline?
6.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 101 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀ and O₃ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Kathmandu's air?
About 4.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 101 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Kathmandu improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 161, against 219 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Kathmandu

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 60 µg/m³ · Fri 22:45	1.1 km	154	Unhealthy
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 97 µg/m³ · Fri 22:45	1.2 km	180	Unhealthy
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 26 µg/m³ · Fri 23:24 PM₁₀: 46 µg/m³ · Fri 23:24	1.6 km	83	Moderate

Air quality near Kathmandu

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Dhaka (158); worst: Lucknow (286). The tick on each bar is Kathmandu, at 204.

Patna 237 km S 273 Very unhealthy
Lucknow 443 km W 286 Very unhealthy
Kanpur 514 km W 180 Unhealthy
Jhargram 609 km S 212 Very unhealthy
Kolkata 649 km SE 210 Very unhealthy
Dhaka 669 km SE 158 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 27.72°N, 85.32°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.