Worst air pollution Wellington, today and tomorrow
Today (21 September): Air quality in Wellington is fair. AQI, PM2.5, and PM10 are fair; NO2, O3, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 10:00 AM (PM10: 23.5/100).
Tomorrow (22 September 2026): Air quality in Wellington is good. AQI improves to good; PM2.5 decreases to good; PM10 decreases to good; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (PM2.5: 16.8/100). 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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Wellington's air quality benefits from its exceptional Cook Strait position as one of the world's windiest capital cities, with consistent Southern Ocean and Cook Strait westerlies providing among the world's most powerful and reliable natural urban ventilation. Vehicle traffic on surrounding roads and the government and services corridor contribute modest local sources, while the extraordinary wind exposure effectively disperses most local emissions and Wellington generally maintains among the Southern Hemisphere's cleaner major capital city environments throughout most of the year.
Today - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 10:00
AQI:
Fair
23.5/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
23.5/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
23.5/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
5.9/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
10.6/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
1.3/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.3/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
0.8/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
2.4/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 22 September | Pollution peaks at 05:00
AQI:
Good
16.8/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Good
16.8/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Good
14.3/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
10.8/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
11.2/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
1.0/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.3/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
0.9/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
1.8/100
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Wellington right now?
On 21 September 2026, overall air quality in Wellington is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 23.5/100. Pollution peaks around 10:00 AM (PM10: 23.5/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Wellington?
On 22 September 2026, air quality conditions in Wellington will be better than today, with AQI forecast at good at 16.8/100. Pollution peaks around 5:00 AM (PM2.5: 16.8/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Wellington?
Pollution in Wellington typically rises when traffic emissions, especially once winds are light and dispersion is poor. Day-to-day conditions here depend heavily on the weather. Conditions can otherwise vary considerably with the weather.
Are air quality levels in Wellington 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 September 2026 at 08:52 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.
Disclaimer: Forecasts are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Actual pollen and air quality conditions may vary from the forecast. If you have allergies, asthma, or another medical condition, consult a healthcare professional. Please see our Terms of Service for important information about limitations of liability.
Some text on this page may be generated or summarised using artificial intelligence (AI). Wherever possible, AI-generated content is enriched with Airmine's proprietary data to improve its accuracy and relevance. However, AI-generated content may still contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
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