Is the air in Rio de Janeiro safe today?

No. Right now the US AQI in Rio de Janeiro is 179, which counts as unhealthy. Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.

When is the best time to be outside in Rio de Janeiro?

Sat 07:00–10:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 78. The worst hour is around Fri 14:00, at 179.

What is the main pollutant in Rio de Janeiro?

Ozone (O3). It drives the index right now, at 192 µg/m³. Formed by sunlight acting on traffic and plant emissions. Highest on hot, still afternoons, often downwind of cities.

How does Rio de Janeiro'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 Rio de Janeiro'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 Rio de Janeiro improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 97, against 207 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Rio de Janeiro air quality

Brazil · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 14:00 local time

179

Unhealthy

US AQI, mostly O₃

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.

Next 24 hours: 65–179US AQI, highest around Fri 14:00
Best time outside: Sat 07:00–10:00US AQI about 78
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 Rio de Janeiro. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Rio de Janeiro right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	23 µg/m³	Moderate	1.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	25 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	12 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Ozone O₃	192 µg/m³	Unhealthy	1.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	7.3 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	215 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.57	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	3	Moderate

“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 179 around Fri 14:00, lowest 60 around Sat 17:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for Rio de Janeiro

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	61–207	Very unhealthy	12:00	25	9 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	60–100	Moderate	10:00	21	8 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	57–97	Moderate	2:00	20	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	60–147	Sensitive	13:00	17	7 High
Tue 17 Nov	55–100	Moderate	14:00	17	8 Very high

Common questions about the air in Rio de Janeiro

Is the air in Rio de Janeiro safe today?
No. Right now the US AQI in Rio de Janeiro is 179, which counts as unhealthy. Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.
When is the best time to be outside in Rio de Janeiro?
Sat 07:00–10:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 78. The worst hour is around Fri 14:00, at 179.
What is the main pollutant in Rio de Janeiro?
Ozone (O₃). It drives the index right now, at 192 µg/m³. Formed by sunlight acting on traffic and plant emissions. Highest on hot, still afternoons, often downwind of cities.
How does Rio de Janeiro'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 Rio de Janeiro'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 Rio de Janeiro improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 97, against 207 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Rio de Janeiro

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Praça XV OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 4.6 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00 PM₁₀: 9.5 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00	0.6 km	26	Good
Centro OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 6.5 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00 PM₁₀: 29 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00 O₃: 60 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00 CO: 515 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00	0.7 km	36	Good
MAM OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 4.6 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00 PM₁₀: 6.6 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00	0.7 km	26	Good

Air quality near Rio de Janeiro

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: La Paz (27); worst: Santiago (217). The tick on each bar is Rio de Janeiro, at 179.

São Paulo 361 km W 93 Moderate
Buenos Aires 1,968 km SW 39 Good
La Paz 2,703 km W 27 Good
Santiago 2,927 km SW 217 Very unhealthy
Lima 3,779 km W 71 Moderate
Caracas 4,523 km NW 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 22.91°S, 43.17°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.