Worst air pollution Durban, today and tomorrow

On 18 July 2026, overall air quality in Durban is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 76.9/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 76.9/100).

On 19 July 2026, air quality conditions in Durban will be better than today, with PM1 forecast at fair at 35.7/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 54.2/100).

At Durban, the sea breeze keeps air quality fairly steady across the seasons, with only brief dips during hot, humid, windless spells in summer when local pollution can linger close to the ground. Cooler winter months generally bring the most consistent onshore ventilation and the clearest air quality of the year for residents nearby.

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.