Is the air in Moscow safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Moscow is 72, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Moscow?

Sat 06:00–9:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 60. The worst hour is around Sat 03:00, at 80.

What is the main pollutant in Moscow?

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 Moscow's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

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

About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Moscow improve this week?

Saturday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 80, against 244 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Moscow air quality

Russia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 20:00 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: 59–80US AQI, highest around Sat 03:00
Best time outside: Sat 06:00–9:00US AQI about 60
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.2×17 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Moscow right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	20 µg/m³	Moderate	1.2×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	24 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	50 µg/m³	Good	1.6×
Ozone O₃	19 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	34 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Carbon monoxide CO	391 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.12	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 84 around Sun 18:00, lowest 54 around Sun 01:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Moscow

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	60–244	Very unhealthy	0:00	47	0 Low
Sat 14 Nov	59–80	Moderate	3:00	17	0 Low
Sun 15 Nov	54–84	Moderate	18:00	18	0 Low
Mon 16 Nov	67–137	Sensitive	19:00	31	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	39–84	Moderate	0:00	13	0 Low

Common questions about the air in Moscow

Is the air in Moscow safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Moscow is 72, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Moscow?
Sat 06:00–9:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 60. The worst hour is around Sat 03:00, at 80.
What is the main pollutant in Moscow?
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 Moscow's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Moscow's air?
About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Moscow improve this week?
Saturday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 80, against 244 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Moscow

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 10 µg/m³ · Fri 20:39 PM₁₀: 21 µg/m³ · Fri 20:39	3.6 km	53	Moderate
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 20 µg/m³ · Fri 20:39 PM₁₀: 35 µg/m³ · Fri 20:39	4.8 km	71	Moderate
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 14 µg/m³ · Fri 20:37 PM₁₀: 26 µg/m³ · Fri 20:37	4.9 km	61	Moderate

Air quality near Moscow

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Stockholm (19); worst: Kraków (75). The tick on each bar is Moscow, at 72.

Kyiv 756 km SW 53 Moderate
Helsinki 892 km NW 25 Good
Warsaw 1,151 km W 71 Moderate
Stockholm 1,227 km NW 19 Good
Kraków 1,338 km W 75 Moderate
Bucharest 1,500 km SW 53 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 55.76°N, 37.62°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.