Worst air pollution Potchefstroom, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in Potchefstroom is fair. PM2.5 is the main pollutant at 32.8/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 47.7/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in Potchefstroom will be similar to today, with NO2 forecast at fair at 34.6/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 PM (SO2: 43.9/100).

Ask anyone at Potchefstroom and they'll say winter mornings are when the air is at its worst, as maize, sunflower, and grain farming 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.

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.