Worst air pollution Palermo, today and tomorrow

Today (18 July): Air quality in Palermo is fair. PM2.5 and PM1 are fair; AQI, NO2, and O3 are medium; PM10, SO2, CO, and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 2:00 AM (NO2: 43.3/100).
Tomorrow (19 July 2026): Air quality in Palermo is fair. AQI worsens to fair; NO2 increases to fair; O3 increases to fair; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 4:00 PM (O3: 39.5/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app

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

Use our Strava plugin to check your own exposure.

Palermo's air quality reflects the Sicilian capital's position in the Conca d'Oro basin, with the surrounding Monte Pellegrino and Conca d'Oro hills partially enclosing the urban area and limiting dispersal on calm days. Vehicle emissions from the dense city centre traffic and ferry terminal activity in the port are the primary sources, while summer Scirocco winds from North Africa periodically carry Saharan dust across Sicily.

Today - 18 July | Pollution peaks at 02:00

AQI:

Medium

43.3/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Fair

31.0/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

18.3/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Medium

43.3/100

O3 (ozone):

Medium

40.8/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

9.7/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

10.7/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Fair

25.3/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 19 July | Pollution peaks at 16:00

AQI:

Fair

39.5/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Fair

37.0/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

19.9/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Fair

37.0/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

39.5/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

10.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

12.6/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Fair

33.2/100

Pollen forecast in Palermo

View pollen forecast

Sports venues in Palermo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Palermo right now?

On 18 July 2026, overall air quality in Palermo is fair. PM2.5 is the main pollutant at 31.0/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 AM (NO2: 43.3/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Palermo?

On 19 July 2026, air quality conditions in Palermo will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 39.5/100. Pollution peaks around 4:00 PM (O3: 39.5/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Palermo?

Palermo residents notice reduced air quality mainly when local tree and grass allergens peaks, and during spells of vehicle emissions from the dense city centre traffic and ferry terminal activity in the port; the rest of the calendar year is generally more forgiving for air quality.

Are air quality levels in Palermo 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 Italy?

Check air quality in other popular cities:

Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 18 July 2026 at 21:30 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.

For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app