When is the best time to be outside in Kuala Lumpur?

Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 63. The worst hour is around Sat 20:00, at 159.

What is the main pollutant in Kuala Lumpur?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 29 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Kuala Lumpur's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 27 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 Kuala Lumpur's air?

About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Kuala Lumpur improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 115, against 159 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Kuala Lumpur air quality

Q: Is the air in Kuala Lumpur safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Kuala Lumpur is 88, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 159 (unhealthy) around Sat 20:00.

Malaysia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 01:00 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: 62–159US AQI, highest around Sat 20:00
Best time outside: Sat 04:00–7:00US AQI about 63
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.8×27 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.2 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Kuala Lumpur right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	29 µg/m³	Moderate	1.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	29 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	77 µg/m³	Good	2.2×
Ozone O₃	4.0 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	35 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Carbon monoxide CO	1,908 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Aerosol optical depth	0.46	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 159 around Sat 20:00, lowest 52 around Sun 05:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for Kuala Lumpur

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
Sat 14 Nov	62–159	Unhealthy	20:00	28	7 High
Sun 15 Nov	52–115	Sensitive	22:00	21	7 High
Mon 16 Nov	50–155	Unhealthy	23:00	24	7 High
Tue 17 Nov	68–154	Unhealthy	0:00	35	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Kuala Lumpur

Is the air in Kuala Lumpur safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Kuala Lumpur is 88, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 159 (unhealthy) around Sat 20:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Kuala Lumpur?
Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 63. The worst hour is around Sat 20:00, at 159.
What is the main pollutant in Kuala Lumpur?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 29 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Kuala Lumpur's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 27 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 Kuala Lumpur's air?
About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 27 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Kuala Lumpur improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 115, against 159 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Kuala Lumpur

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 40 µg/m³ · Sat 01:38 PM₁₀: 47 µg/m³ · Sat 01:38	4.7 km	111	Sensitive
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 41 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	4.7 km	115	Sensitive
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 50 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	5.1 km	138	Sensitive

Air quality near Kuala Lumpur

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Phnom Penh (53); worst: Jakarta (159). The tick on each bar is Kuala Lumpur, at 88.

Singapore 309 km SE 68 Moderate
Phnom Penh 1,002 km N 53 Moderate
Ho Chi Minh City 1,014 km NE 86 Moderate
Jakarta 1,187 km SE 159 Unhealthy
Bangkok 1,188 km N 76 Moderate
Yangon 1,638 km N 91 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 3.14°N, 101.69°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.