Worst air pollution Gardens - Cape Town, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Gardens is poor. AQI and PM1 are poor; PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 are moderate; O3, SO2, and HCHO are fair; CO is good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (PM1: 62.6/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Gardens is poor. PM10 decreases to fair; NO2 increases to poor; O3 decreases to good; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 61.2/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Vehicle traffic and the city bowl, harbour, and southern suburbs are the constant background sources of local pollution at Gardens, but the Cape's wind pattern does most of the actual air quality work. Only when that wind drops, mainly on winter mornings, does pollution get a chance to accumulate. The wider Cape region generally follows this same rough pattern.
Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 12:00
AQI:
Poor
62.6/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
58.1/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Moderate
43.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Moderate
40.1/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
22.6/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
33.6/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
1.7/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Fair
27.2/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Poor
62.6/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Poor
61.2/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
53.4/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
39.4/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Poor
61.2/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
16.2/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
39.8/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
2.4/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Fair
29.8/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Poor
61.2/100
Other Landmarks in Cape Town
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Gardens right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Gardens is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 62.6/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (PM1: 62.6/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Gardens?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Gardens will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at poor at 61.2/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 61.2/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Gardens?
At Gardens, poor air quality is really a winter-calm-day phenomenon, tied to brief lulls in the Cape's wind that let emissions from the city bowl, harbour, and southern suburbs build up. Spring and summer see the southeaster return in force, restoring the region's usually excellent ventilation. This is a familiar pattern across much of the Cape.
Are air quality levels in Gardens 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: 20 September 2026 at 14:33 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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