Worst air pollution Sandringham - Johannesburg, today and tomorrow

Today (20 September): Air quality in Sandringham is moderate. AQI, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and PM1 are moderate; PM10, O3, and HCHO are fair; CO is good. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 56.6/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Sandringham 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 11:00 PM (PM1: 97.8/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

Get the full experience in the Airmine app.

Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team

Follow your pollen exposure and performance with the free Airmine–Strava integration. See your pollen and air quality exposure for every Strava activity.

Sandringham lies roughly 10 km northeast of Johannesburg. Vehicle traffic and government, finance, and commercial operations are the main contributors to air quality conditions at Sandringham, set on the dry Highveld plateau. Winter mornings can see emissions concentrate under a temperature inversion, while the wetter, windier summer months typically bring clearer air to the wider district. Much of the surrounding Highveld sees broadly the same seasonal pattern.

Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 19:00

AQI:

Moderate

56.6/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Moderate

43.4/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Fair

28.1/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Moderate

56.6/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

28.7/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Moderate

40.8/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

1.7/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Fair

38.5/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Moderate

50.4/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Very poor

97.8/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Poor

78.4/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Moderate

59.0/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Very poor

89.5/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

31.7/100

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

97.8/100

Other Landmarks in Johannesburg

Sports venues in Johannesburg

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Sandringham right now?

On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Sandringham is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 56.6/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 56.6/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Sandringham?

On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Sandringham will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at very poor at 97.8/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM1: 97.8/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Sandringham?

The worst air quality at Sandringham shows up on calm winter mornings, when emissions tied to government, finance, and commercial operations settle under the kind of low inversion that's common across the Highveld. That pattern breaks once the summer rains and stronger winds arrive from November onward. This is a familiar pattern across much of the Highveld.

Are air quality levels in Sandringham 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.

Want to see air quality forecasts for other cities in South Africa?

Check air quality in other popular cities:

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.

Get the full experience in the Airmine app.