Rio de Janeiro air quality
Brazil · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · updated Sat 21:00 local time
Unhealthy
Everyone should cut back on outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should stay indoors.
- Next 24 hours
- 85–190US AQI, highest around Sun 17:00
- Best time outside
- Sun 00:00–3:00US AQI about 87
- PM2.5 vs WHO guideline
- 2.9×43 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
- Cigarette equivalent
- ≈ 2.0 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb
- European AQI
- Moderatelevel 3 of 6
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Pollutants in Rio de Janeiro right now
| Pollutant | Now | Next 24 h vs WHO | US AQI band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 46 µg/m³ | 2.9× | Sensitive |
| Coarse particles (PM10) | 48 µg/m³ | 1.0× | Good |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) | 46 µg/m³ | 0.7× | Good |
| Ozone (O3) | 79 µg/m³ | 2.0× | Good |
| Sulphur dioxide (SO2) | 13 µg/m³ | 0.3× | Good |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 303 µg/m³ | 0.1× | Good |
| Desert dust | 0 µg/m³ | ||
| Smoke and haze (aerosol optical depth) | 0.25 | ||
| UV index | 0.0 |
“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 PM2.5, 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.
Next 48 hours
Hourly US AQI. Highest 190 around Sun 17:00, lowest 73 around Mon 16:00.
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 200.
| Day | US AQI | At worst | PM2.5 avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 Sept | 68–175 | 27 | ||
| Sun 27 Sept | 85–190 | 40 | ||
| Mon 28 Sept | 69–110 | 20 | ||
| Tue 29 Sept | 70–86 | 20 | ||
| Wed 30 Sept | 67–193 | 24 |
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 151, 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?
Sun 00:00–3:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 87. The worst hour is around Sun 17:00, at 190.
What is the main pollutant in Rio de Janeiro?
Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 46 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Rio de Janeiro's air compare with the WHO guideline?
2.9 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 43 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10 and O3 are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Rio de Janeiro's air?
About 2.0 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 43 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?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 86, against 193 on Wednesday, the worst day in the forecast.
Air quality near Rio de Janeiro
- São Paulo 361 km W
- Buenos Aires 1,968 km SW
- La Paz 2,703 km W
- Santiago 2,927 km SW
- Lima 3,779 km W
- Caracas 4,523 km NW
About this forecast
Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (10 km inside Europe), refreshed twice a day. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown; ground stations, where there are any nearby, show what monitors actually measure. The US AQI follows the US EPA scale and the European AQI the EEA bands. Readings for 22.91°S, 43.17°W, updated 2026-09-27 00:00 UTC.