Worst air pollution Adelaide, today and tomorrow

On 4 August 2026, overall air quality in Adelaide is good. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 16.7/100. Pollution peaks around 2:30 PM (O3: 16.7/100).

On 5 August 2026, air quality conditions in Adelaide will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at good at 13.2/100. Pollution peaks around 2:30 PM (O3: 13.2/100).

Air quality in Adelaide is typically at its most challenging during summer bushfire season, especially when smoke drifts down from fires in the Adelaide Hills or further afield, usually December through March. Hot, dry, windy days can also raise dust from surrounding farmland. Outside of these events, the regular Gulf St Vincent sea breeze keeps the city's air clear most of the year, so residents should mainly watch fire conditions and total fire ban days for likely disruptions.

It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.

Airmine’s forecast uses CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) as its background atmospheric model. While CAMS includes wildfire emissions, these are derived from satellite observations and are not available in real time. During rapidly evolving wildfire events, there may therefore be a delay before increased emissions are incorporated into the model. As a result, the forecast may temporarily underestimate PM₂.₅ and other pollutants associated with wildfire smoke.

During rapidly evolving wildfire events, CAMS may lag by approximately 1–2 days before increased wildfire emissions are fully represented, which can lead to temporary underestimation of PM₂.₅ concentrations in Airmine’s forecast.