Worst air pollution Vaal Dam - Frankfort, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Vaal Dam is moderate. AQI, PM2.5, and PM1 are moderate; PM10, NO2, O3, and SO2 are fair; CO and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM2.5: 52.6/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Vaal Dam is poor. AQI worsens to poor; PM2.5 increases to poor; NO2 decreases to good; O3 increases to moderate; SO2 decreases to good; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (PM2.5: 60.2/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Vaal Dam lies roughly 260 km northeast of Bloemfontein. Vaal Dam 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:
Moderate
52.6/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
52.6/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
22.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Fair
31.3/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
32.4/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
31.8/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.8/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.3/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Moderate
46.3/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 07:00
AQI:
Poor
60.2/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Poor
60.2/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
28.1/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Good
12.5/100
O3 (ozone):
Moderate
40.4/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
18.5/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
1.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
4.5/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Moderate
53.2/100
Other Landmarks in Frankfort
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Vaal Dam right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Vaal Dam is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 52.6/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (PM2.5: 52.6/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Vaal Dam?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Vaal Dam will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at poor at 60.2/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (PM2.5: 60.2/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Vaal Dam?
Winter is the tricky season for air quality at Vaal Dam, 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 Vaal Dam 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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