Worst air pollution Monterrey, today and tomorrow

Today (21 July): Air quality in Monterrey is poor. AQI and PM10 are poor; O3 is fair; PM2.5 is medium; NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM10: 74.8/100).
Tomorrow (22 July 2026): Air quality in Monterrey is very poor. AQI worsens to very poor; PM2.5 increases to poor; PM10 increases to very poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (PM10: 91.8/100). 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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Monterrey's air quality reflects the Monterrey metropolitan area's severe topographic enclosure in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain basin at 537 metres, with vehicle traffic on the Periférico Ecológico and the surrounding steel, glass, cement, and manufacturing corridor — Monterrey being Mexico's industrial capital — generating elevated industrial PM2.5 and SO₂. The surrounding mountain walls create complete topographic enclosure, while the Cerro de la Silla and Cerro de las Mitras create dramatic topography and Monterrey maintains among Mexico's more industrially challenging urban environments throughout the year.

Today - 21 July | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Poor

74.8/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Medium

56.3/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Poor

74.8/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

0.6/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

32.3/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

1.8/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

1.0/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

13.1/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 22 July | Pollution peaks at 22:00

AQI:

Very poor

91.8/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Poor

63.5/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Very poor

91.8/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

0.3/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

26.5/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

3.5/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

0.8/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

16.5/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Monterrey right now?

On 21 July 2026, overall air quality in Monterrey is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 74.8/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM10: 74.8/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Monterrey?

On 22 July 2026, air quality conditions in Monterrey will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at very poor at 91.8/100. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (PM10: 91.8/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Monterrey?

The biggest local contributors to pollution in Monterrey are road traffic, heavy industry such as steel, cement, or petrochemical processing, as well as manufacturing and food processing, particularly once dry, windy weather picks up. Dust carried on these winds adds substantially to particulate levels. This is most noticeable during spring and autumn wind events.

Are air quality levels in Monterrey 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