Worst air pollution Thornton - Cape Town, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Thornton is very poor. AQI and PM1 are very poor; PM2.5 is poor; PM10 and SO2 are moderate; NO2, O3, and HCHO are fair; CO is good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (PM1: 80.4/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Thornton is poor. AQI improves to poor; PM2.5 decreases to moderate; NO2 increases to moderate; O3 decreases to good; PM1 decreases to poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM1: 68.1/100). 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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Thornton lies roughly 10 km east-southeast of Cape Town. Vehicle traffic and the city bowl, harbour, and southern suburbs are the constant background sources of local pollution at Thornton, 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:
Very poor
80.4/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Poor
65.9/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Moderate
47.8/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Fair
27.2/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
21.7/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Moderate
41.6/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
2.2/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Fair
31.0/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Very poor
80.4/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 23:00
AQI:
Poor
68.1/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
53.3/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Moderate
40.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Moderate
45.2/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
13.2/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Moderate
40.5/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
2.5/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Fair
30.6/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Poor
68.1/100
Other Landmarks in Cape Town
Sports venues in Cape Town
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Thornton right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Thornton is very poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 80.4/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (PM1: 80.4/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Thornton?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Thornton will be better than today, with AQI forecast at poor at 68.1/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM1: 68.1/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Thornton?
At Thornton, 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 Thornton 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 20:27 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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