When is the best time to be outside in Sydney?

Sun 01:00–4:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 112.

What is the main pollutant in Sydney?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 16 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Sydney's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 12 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 Sydney's air?

About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 12 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Sydney improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 55, against 112 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Sydney air quality

Q: Is the air in Sydney safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Sydney is 64, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 112 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 12:00.

New South Wales, Australia · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 04:00 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: 41–112US AQI, highest around Sat 12:00
Best time outside: Sun 01:00–4:00US AQI about 42
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.8×12 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 Sydney. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Sydney right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	16 µg/m³	Moderate	0.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	18 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	34 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Ozone O₃	14 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	11 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	106 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.14	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 112 around Sat 12:00, lowest 32 around Mon 03:00.

50100

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

5-day air quality forecast for Sydney

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
Sat 14 Nov	48–112	Sensitive	12:00	12	10 Very high
Sun 15 Nov	41–61	Moderate	19:00	11	3 Moderate
Mon 16 Nov	32–55	Moderate	13:00	8.5	5 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	33–67	Moderate	23:00	9.9	9 Very high
Wed 18 Nov	58–86	Moderate	2:00	21	5 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Sydney

Is the air in Sydney safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Sydney is 64, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 112 (unhealthy for sensitive groups) around Sat 12:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Sydney?
Sun 01:00–4:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Sat 12:00, at 112.
What is the main pollutant in Sydney?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 16 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Sydney's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 12 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 Sydney's air?
About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 12 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Sydney improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 55, against 112 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Sydney

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 5.6 µg/m³ · Sat 04:39 PM₁₀: 6.0 µg/m³ · Sat 04:39	2.3 km	31	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 0.3 µg/m³ · Sat 04:37 PM₁₀: 0.4 µg/m³ · Sat 04:37	3.5 km	2	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 14 µg/m³ · Sat 04:39 PM₁₀: 30 µg/m³ · Sat 04:39	3.8 km	61	Moderate

Air quality near Sydney

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Canberra (21); worst: Perth (55). The tick on each bar is Sydney, at 64.

Canberra 247 km SW 21 Good
Melbourne 713 km SW 37 Good
Brisbane 732 km N 31 Good
Adelaide 1,162 km W 28 Good
Auckland 2,156 km E 37 Good
Perth 3,291 km W 55 Moderate

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 33.87°S, 151.21°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.