Worst air pollution Cape Point - Cape Town, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in Cape Point is good. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 17.8/100. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (O3: 17.8/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in Cape Point will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at good at 18.5/100. Pollution peaks around 9:00 PM (O3: 18.5/100).

At Cape Point, occasional poor air quality tends to occur on calm winter days, when the Cape's usual wind drops and emissions from the city bowl, harbour, and southern suburbs can build up overnight. Through spring and summer, the reliable southeasterly wind returns and keeps particulate levels low, a seasonal pattern typical of the wider Cape region.

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.

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.