Is the air in Manchester safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Manchester is 54, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Manchester?

Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 45. The worst hour is around Fri 19:00, at 68.

What is the main pollutant in Manchester?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 11 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is forecast above its guideline level.

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

About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Manchester improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 54, against 85 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Manchester air quality

United Kingdom · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 17:00 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: 44–68US AQI, highest around Fri 19:00
Best time outside: Sat 05:00–8:00US AQI about 45
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.7×11 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.5 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Manchester right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	11 µg/m³	Moderate	0.7×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	18 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	58 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Ozone O₃	8.0 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	2.8 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	304 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.06	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 68 around Fri 19:00, lowest 21 around Sun 12:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Manchester

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	30–68	Moderate	19:00	9.7	1 Low
Sat 14 Nov	44–60	Moderate	23:00	10	1 Low
Sun 15 Nov	21–59	Moderate	0:00	6.3	1 Low
Mon 16 Nov	24–54	Moderate	23:00	4.0	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	54–85	Moderate	23:00	17	1 Low

Common questions about the air in Manchester

Is the air in Manchester safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Manchester is 54, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Manchester?
Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 45. The worst hour is around Fri 19:00, at 68.
What is the main pollutant in Manchester?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 11 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Manchester's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Manchester's air?
About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Manchester improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 54, against 85 on Tuesday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Manchester

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor NO₂: 50 µg/m³ · Fri 16:00 SO₂: 2.0 µg/m³ · Fri 16:00	0.3 km	25	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 10 µg/m³ · Fri 17:38 PM₁₀: 23 µg/m³ · Fri 17:38	1.5 km	53	Moderate
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 13 µg/m³ · Fri 17:38 PM₁₀: 29 µg/m³ · Fri 17:38	3.5 km	57	Moderate

Air quality near Manchester

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Edinburgh (28); worst: London (58). The tick on each bar is Manchester, at 54.

London 262 km SE 58 Moderate
Dublin 267 km W 57 Moderate
Edinburgh 282 km N 28 Good
Amsterdam 495 km E 38 Good
Brussels 536 km SE 55 Moderate
Paris 606 km SE 55 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS Europe and 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 53.48°N, 2.24°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.