Worst air pollution Pentland Hills, today and tomorrow

On 30 August 2026, overall air quality in Pentland Hills is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 23.5/100. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (NO2: 23.5/100).

On 31 August 2026, air quality conditions in Pentland Hills will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at moderate at 42.1/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 PM (NO2: 42.1/100).

Particulate levels here tend to peak during the coldest months of the year, as reduced winter air movement lets heating emissions and wood smoke build up locally. Warmer months bring a different problem: smoke haze from nearby bushfires, with summer's heat and dry vegetation together producing both elevated ozone and, at times, bushfire smoke haze.

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.