When is the best time to be outside in São Paulo?

Fri 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 50. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 143.

What is the main pollutant in São Paulo?

Ozone (O3). It drives the index right now, at 134 µg/m³. Formed by sunlight acting on traffic and plant emissions. Highest on hot, still afternoons, often downwind of cities.

How does São Paulo's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O3 is forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of São Paulo's air?

About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in São Paulo improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 119, against 164 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

São Paulo air quality

Q: Is the air in São Paulo safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in São Paulo is 93, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 143 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 12:00.

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

Moderate

US AQI, mostly O₃

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 48–143US AQI, highest around Sat 12:00
Best time outside: Fri 16:00–19:00US AQI about 50
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.9×13 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.6 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in São Paulo right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	13 µg/m³	Moderate	0.9×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	14 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	8.1 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Ozone O₃	134 µg/m³	Moderate	1.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	5.5 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	311 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.27	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	4	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 164 around Sun 10:00, lowest 48 around Fri 17:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for São Paulo

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 200.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	48–119	Sensitive	11:00	15	8 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	56–143	Sensitive	12:00	15	9 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	57–164	Unhealthy	10:00	27	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	54–154	Unhealthy	13:00	15	9 Very high
Tue 17 Nov	54–159	Unhealthy	12:00	15	9 Very high

Common questions about the air in São Paulo

Is the air in São Paulo safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in São Paulo is 93, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 143 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 12:00.
When is the best time to be outside in São Paulo?
Fri 16:00–19:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 50. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 143.
What is the main pollutant in São Paulo?
Ozone (O₃). It drives the index right now, at 134 µg/m³. Formed by sunlight acting on traffic and plant emissions. Highest on hot, still afternoons, often downwind of cities.
How does São Paulo's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O₃ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of São Paulo's air?
About 0.6 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 13 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in São Paulo improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 119, against 164 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near São Paulo

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 33 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00	3.6 km	95	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 39 µg/m³ · Fri 14:00	11 km	109	Sensitive

Air quality near São Paulo

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: La Paz (27); worst: Santiago (217). The tick on each bar is São Paulo, at 93.

Rio de Janeiro 361 km E 179 Unhealthy
Buenos Aires 1,675 km SW 39 Good
La Paz 2,375 km W 27 Good
Santiago 2,585 km SW 217 Very unhealthy
Lima 3,454 km W 71 Moderate
Quito 4,307 km NW 48 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 23.55°S, 46.63°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.