Worst air pollution Preston - Melbourne, today and tomorrow
Today (17 September): Air quality in Preston is poor. AQI and NO2 are poor; PM2.5 is moderate; PM10 and PM1 are fair; O3, SO2, CO, and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 62.5/100).
Tomorrow (18 September 2026): Air quality in Preston is moderate. AQI improves to moderate; NO2 decreases to moderate; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM2.5: 43.8/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Preston sits further from the CBD in Melbourne's northern suburbs, a flatter, more spread-out area where traffic along corridors like High Street and Bell Street is the main air quality driver, compounded by some remaining light-industrial pockets. Its inland position offers limited natural ventilation compared with bayside suburbs. Bushfire smoke is a periodic summer risk from outer hinterland. Wood heater smoke can build on calm winter nights in surrounding residential streets. Overall, background air quality is typical of Melbourne's middle-ring suburbs.
Today - 17 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Poor
62.5/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
43.4/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
31.1/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Poor
62.5/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
9.3/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
7.1/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.8/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
7.2/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
20.5/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 18 September | Pollution peaks at 00:00
AQI:
Moderate
43.8/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
43.8/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
30.3/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Moderate
40.5/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
9.6/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
6.1/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.9/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
7.4/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
21.2/100
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Preston right now?
On 17 September 2026, overall air quality in Preston is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 62.5/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 62.5/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Preston?
On 18 September 2026, air quality conditions in Preston will be better than today, with AQI forecast at moderate at 43.8/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM2.5: 43.8/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Preston?
Sitting further from Port Phillip Bay than bayside suburbs, Preston gets less benefit from cooling sea breezes, so summer bushfire smoke (December–March) can linger a little longer here on hot, still days. Winter wood-heater smoke adds a further seasonal rise. Expect these two periods to dominate any air-quality concerns.
Are air quality levels in Preston 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.
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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.
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