Worst air pollution Johannesburg, today and tomorrow

On 19 July 2026, overall air quality in Johannesburg is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 70.6/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (SO2: 70.6/100).

On 20 July 2026, air quality conditions in Johannesburg will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at very poor at 95.1/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (SO2: 95.1/100).

Air quality at Johannesburg is most likely to dip during the dry winter months from May to August, when temperature inversions trap vehicle and household emissions close to the ground on still mornings. Conditions improve markedly once the summer rains arrive from November, as stronger winds and regular thunderstorms clear the plateau air for the rest of the season.

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.