Worst air pollution Airlie Beach, today and tomorrow
Today (17 September): Air quality in Airlie Beach is fair. AQI, PM2.5, and PM10 are fair; NO2, O3, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 5:00 PM (PM10: 23.9/100).
Tomorrow (18 September 2026): Air quality in Airlie Beach is good. AQI improves to good; PM2.5 decreases to good; PM10 decreases to good; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (PM10: 18.9/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
Get the full experience in the Airmine app.
Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team
Follow your pollen exposure and performance with the free Airmine–Strava integration. See your pollen and air quality exposure for every Strava activity.
Airlie Beach sits directly on the Whitsunday coast, and this exposed position gives it strong onshore sea-breeze ventilation from the Coral Sea for much of the year, keeping background air quality generally excellent. Wet season humidity, from November to April, is the dominant climate feature, alongside cyclone risk. Savanna and cane-country smoke can drift in from inland areas during the drier months. With tourism rather than industry as the main local activity, vehicle emissions and dust are minor factors.
Today - 17 September | Pollution peaks at 17:00
AQI:
Fair
23.9/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
21.7/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
23.9/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
1.9/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
11.3/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
0.4/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.3/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.8/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
4.3/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 18 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Good
18.9/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Good
15.9/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Good
18.9/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
0.6/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
11.4/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
0.2/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.3/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
1.0/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
2.0/100
Pollen forecast in Airlie Beach
View pollen forecastAir quality forecasts for neighbourhoods and landmarks in Airlie Beach
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Airlie Beach right now?
On 17 September 2026, overall air quality in Airlie Beach is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 23.9/100. Pollution peaks around 5:00 PM (PM10: 23.9/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Airlie Beach?
On 18 September 2026, air quality conditions in Airlie Beach will be better than today, with AQI forecast at good at 18.9/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (PM10: 18.9/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Airlie Beach?
Airlie Beach's coastal Whitsundays setting keeps air quality good most of the year, with the main smoke risk during the dry season (June–October) when savanna and cane-field burning in the region can drift over on light winds. The wet season (November–April) instead brings cyclone-related disruption and humidity rather than pollution.
Are air quality levels in Airlie Beach based on measurements or forecasts?
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.
Why doesn’t the forecast always reflect wildfire impacts?
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.
Want to see air quality forecasts for other cities in Australia?
Check air quality in other popular cities:
Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 16 September 2026 at 20:30 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)
This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.
Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.
Disclaimer: Forecasts are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Actual pollen and air quality conditions may vary from the forecast. If you have allergies, asthma, or another medical condition, consult a healthcare professional. Please see our Terms of Service for important information about limitations of liability.
Some text on this page may be generated or summarised using artificial intelligence (AI). Wherever possible, AI-generated content is enriched with Airmine's proprietary data to improve its accuracy and relevance. However, AI-generated content may still contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
Get the full experience in the Airmine app.