Worst air pollution Newcastle, today and tomorrow

On 10 August 2026, overall air quality in Newcastle is good. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 18.6/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (O3: 18.6/100).

On 11 August 2026, air quality conditions in Newcastle will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at good at 16.4/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 16.4/100).

Newcastle's air quality is most often challenged by coal dust and port-related emissions on certain wind directions, a long-documented local issue given the city's status as a major coal export hub, and by summer bushfire smoke drifting in from the Hunter Valley hinterland. Sea breezes generally help clear the air along the coastline, making the beachside suburbs typically better ventilated than areas closer to port operations.

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.