Worst air pollution Highlands North - Johannesburg, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Highlands North is poor. AQI and NO2 are poor; PM2.5, SO2, and PM1 are moderate; PM10, O3, and HCHO are fair; CO is good. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 68.7/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Highlands North is very poor. AQI worsens to very poor; PM2.5 increases to poor; PM10 increases to moderate; NO2 increases to very poor; SO2 increases to poor; HCHO increases to poor; PM1 increases to very poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 100/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Vehicle traffic and government, finance, and commercial operations together shape most of what happens to air quality at Highlands North, sitting as it does on the open Highveld plateau. Winter's still, cold mornings are when the two combine most noticeably, before summer's stronger winds take over and clear things out. This is roughly what you'd expect anywhere on the open plateau.
Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Poor
68.7/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Moderate
42.6/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
28.1/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Poor
68.7/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
29.8/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Moderate
40.8/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
1.7/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Fair
38.5/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Moderate
50.5/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Very poor
100/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Poor
75.5/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Moderate
59.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Very poor
100/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
33.0/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Poor
62.9/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
5.4/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Poor
70.3/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Very poor
98.2/100
Other Landmarks in Johannesburg
Sports venues in Johannesburg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Highlands North right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Highlands North is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 68.7/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 68.7/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Highlands North?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Highlands North will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at very poor at 100/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 100/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Highlands North?
Ask anyone at Highlands North and they'll say winter mornings are when the air is at its worst, as government, finance, and commercial operations and local traffic emissions sit trapped under a still, cold inversion layer. Spring and summer bring the wind and rain that usually clears things up again. This is a familiar pattern across much of the Highveld.
Are air quality levels in Highlands North 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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