Is the air in Lima safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Lima is 71, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Lima?

Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 53. The worst hour is around Fri 15:00, at 73.

What is the main pollutant in Lima?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

About at the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

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

About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Lima improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 61, against 73 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Lima air quality

Peru · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 12:00 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: 53–73US AQI, highest around Fri 15:00
Best time outside: Sat 04:00–7:00US AQI about 53
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.0×15 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.7 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Lima right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	20 µg/m³	Moderate	1.0×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	42 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	6.0 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Ozone O₃	71 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	5.3 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	266 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.35	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	28 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	9	Very high

“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 73 around Fri 15:00, lowest 47 around Sun 05:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Lima

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	59–73	Moderate	15:00	17	9 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	53–65	Moderate	12:00	14	13 Extreme
Sun 15 Nov	47–61	Moderate	21:00	12	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	41–61	Moderate	17:00	11	10 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	43–61	Moderate	17:00	11	10 Very high

Common questions about the air in Lima

Is the air in Lima safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Lima is 71, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Lima?
Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 53. The worst hour is around Fri 15:00, at 73.
What is the main pollutant in Lima?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Lima's air compare with the WHO guideline?
About at the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Lima's air?
About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 15 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Lima improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 61, against 73 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Lima

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 4.4 µg/m³ · Fri 12:00	25 km	24	Good

Air quality near Lima

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: La Paz (27); worst: Santiago (217). The tick on each bar is Lima, at 71.

La Paz 1,081 km SE 27 Good
Quito 1,329 km N 48 Good
Bogotá 1,892 km N 31 Good
Medellín 2,040 km N 58 Moderate
Santiago 2,466 km S 217 Very unhealthy
Caracas 2,744 km NE 38 Good

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 12.05°S, 77.04°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.