Worst air pollution Cancún, today and tomorrow

Today (21 July): Air quality in Cancún is fair. O3 is fair; AQI, PM2.5, and PM10 are medium; NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (PM10: 48.4/100).
Tomorrow (22 July 2026): Air quality in Cancún is poor. AQI worsens to poor; PM10 increases to poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (PM10: 66.1/100). 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

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Cancún's air quality benefits from its exceptional Caribbean Sea and Nichupté Lagoon coastal position, with consistent Caribbean northeast trade winds providing reliable and powerful maritime ventilation along this famous Mexican resort coast. Vehicle traffic on surrounding roads and the concentrated tourism and hospitality operations contribute local sources, while the outstanding Caribbean coastal exposure and the consistent trade wind geometry generally maintain Cancún among Mexico's cleaner major coastal resort environments throughout most of the year.

Today - 21 July | Pollution peaks at 13:00

AQI:

Medium

48.4/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Medium

40.1/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Medium

48.4/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

0.9/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

28.7/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

0.8/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

5.9/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 22 July | Pollution peaks at 09:00

AQI:

Poor

66.1/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Medium

44.6/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Poor

66.1/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

1.3/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

31.4/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0.8/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

0.8/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

8.0/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Cancún right now?

On 21 July 2026, overall air quality in Cancún is fair. O3 is the main pollutant at 28.7/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (PM10: 48.4/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Cancún?

On 22 July 2026, air quality conditions in Cancún will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at poor at 66.1/100. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (PM10: 66.1/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Cancún?

Air quality in Cancún tends to be worse when traffic on the surrounding roads along with seasonal tourism traffic build up and maritime winds die down. Onshore breezes usually help clear the air, but pollution can build up when winds are light. This natural ventilation is one reason coastal areas often see better readings than inland cities.

Are air quality levels in Cancún 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: 21 July 2026 at 16:20 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