Worst air pollution Sandstone Estates - Ficksburg, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Sandstone Estates is poor. AQI and PM1 are poor; PM2.5 is moderate; PM10, NO2, O3, and SO2 are fair; CO and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM1: 60.9/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Sandstone Estates is poor. SO2 decreases to good; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (PM1: 62.5/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Sandstone Estates lies roughly 170 km east of Bloemfontein. Sandstone Estates deals with the same basic air quality drivers as most Highveld towns: vehicle traffic and maize, sunflower, and grain farming operations, both of which matter most on calm winter mornings when a low inversion holds emissions close to the ground. Summer generally undoes this with stronger, more consistent winds. The wider Highveld region generally follows this same rough pattern.
Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 00:00
AQI:
Poor
60.9/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
59.7/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
37.6/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Fair
23.4/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
37.3/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
21.0/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
1.5/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.9/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Poor
60.9/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 08:00
AQI:
Poor
62.5/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
59.7/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
38.4/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Fair
26.2/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
38.8/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
6.9/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
1.8/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.7/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Poor
62.5/100
Other Landmarks in Ficksburg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Sandstone Estates right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Sandstone Estates is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 60.9/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM1: 60.9/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Sandstone Estates?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Sandstone Estates will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at poor at 62.5/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (PM1: 62.5/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Sandstone Estates?
Winter is the tricky season for air quality at Sandstone Estates, with calm mornings letting emissions from maize, sunflower, and grain farming operations build up under a typical Highveld inversion. Once the rainy season starts around November, conditions generally improve and stay that way into early autumn. This is a familiar pattern across much of the Highveld.
Are air quality levels in Sandstone Estates 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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