Is the air in Sofia safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Sofia is 75, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Sofia?

Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 27. The worst hour is around Fri 20:00, at 88.

What is the main pollutant in Sofia?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 22 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Sofia'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. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Sofia'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 Sofia improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 69, against 101 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Sofia air quality

Bulgaria · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 19:00 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: 24–88US AQI, highest around Fri 20:00
Best time outside: Sat 04:00–7:00US AQI about 27
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.8×11 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 Sofia. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Sofia right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	22 µg/m³	Moderate	0.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	28 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	25 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Ozone O₃	29 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	2.9 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	226 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.10	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	5 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 101 around Sat 21:00, lowest 24 around Sat 05:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Sofia

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	32–88	Moderate	20:00	14	2 Low
Sat 14 Nov	24–101	Sensitive	21:00	13	1 Low
Sun 15 Nov	27–98	Moderate	0:00	14	1 Low
Mon 16 Nov	39–80	Moderate	20:00	13	2 Low
Tue 17 Nov	33–69	Moderate	0:00	11	2 Low

Common questions about the air in Sofia

Is the air in Sofia safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Sofia is 75, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Sofia?
Sat 04:00–7:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 27. The worst hour is around Fri 20:00, at 88.
What is the main pollutant in Sofia?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 22 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Sofia'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. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Sofia'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 Sofia improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 69, against 101 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Sofia

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 3.1 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38 PM₁₀: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38	0.8 km	17	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 3.5 µg/m³ · Fri 19:39 PM₁₀: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 19:39	0.8 km	19	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 2.7 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38 PM₁₀: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38	0.8 km	15	Good

Air quality near Sofia

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Belgrade (52); worst: Skopje (81). The tick on each bar is Sofia, at 75.

Skopje 174 km SW 81 Moderate
Bucharest 295 km NE 53 Moderate
Belgrade 327 km NW 52 Moderate
Sarajevo 418 km W 74 Moderate
Istanbul 505 km E 52 Moderate
Athens 525 km S 66 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 42.70°N, 23.32°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.