Worst air pollution Belo Horizonte, today and tomorrow

Today (18 July): Air quality in Belo Horizonte is fair. AQI and O3 are fair; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (O3: 21.1/100).
Tomorrow (19 July 2026): Air quality in Belo Horizonte is fair. All pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (O3: 21.7/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team

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Belo Horizonte's air quality is shaped by its bowl-shaped topography in the Serra do Espinhaço foothills, which traps vehicle emissions and industrial pollution from the surrounding Minas Gerais steel corridor under calm conditions. Winter dry season brings the worst episodes, while summer rains provide effective seasonal air washing.

Today - 18 July | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Fair

21.1/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

5.8/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

2.4/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

0/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

21.1/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

0.5/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

2.3/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 19 July | Pollution peaks at 05:00

AQI:

Fair

21.7/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

9.5/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

4.1/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

0/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

21.7/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

0.5/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

5.2/100

Pollen forecast in Belo Horizonte

View pollen forecast

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Belo Horizonte right now?

On 18 July 2026, overall air quality in Belo Horizonte is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 21.1/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (O3: 21.1/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Belo Horizonte?

On 19 July 2026, air quality conditions in Belo Horizonte will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 21.7/100. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (O3: 21.7/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Belo Horizonte?

People in Belo Horizonte tend to notice reduced air quality when eucalyptus and pine pollen peaks, or because of winter dry season brings the worst episodes, while summer rains provide effective seasonal air; wind and rain both help clear the air fairly quickly here.

Are air quality levels in Belo Horizonte 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: 19 July 2026 at 05:53 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.

For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app