Worst air pollution Ekurhuleni, today and tomorrow

On 30 August 2026, overall air quality in Ekurhuleni is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 56.1/100. Pollution peaks around 3:00 PM (O3: 56.1/100).

On 31 August 2026, air quality conditions in Ekurhuleni will be better than today, with AQI forecast at fair at 37.1/100. Pollution peaks around 3:00 AM (HCHO: 37.1/100).

The colder months typically bring the heaviest particulate levels of the year, as reduced winter air movement lets heating emissions and wood smoke build up locally. As the weather warms, ozone tends to overtake other concerns in this area, as sunlight and heat combine to form ozone, with occasional smoke drift adding to the load.

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.