Worst air pollution Three Rivers - Vereeniging, today and tomorrow

Today (20 September): Air quality in Three Rivers is moderate. AQI, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and PM1 are moderate; PM10, O3, and HCHO are fair; CO is good. Pollution peaks around 9:00 PM (PM1: 59.0/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Three Rivers is very poor. AQI worsens to very poor; PM2.5 increases to poor; PM10 increases to moderate; O3 decreases to good; PM1 increases to very poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM1: 80.9/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

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

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Three Rivers lies roughly 50 km south of Johannesburg. Three Rivers's position on the open Highveld plateau means vehicle traffic and government, finance, and commercial operations drive most local emissions, with winter inversions occasionally trapping pollution close to the ground. Summer brings stronger winds and regular thunderstorms that generally keep particulate levels lower across the surrounding area. It's a fairly standard picture for this part of the plateau.

Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 21:00

AQI:

Moderate

59.0/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Moderate

46.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Fair

34.3/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Moderate

47.7/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

20.2/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Moderate

41.9/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

1.1/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Fair

23.2/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Moderate

59.0/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Very poor

80.9/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Poor

60.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Moderate

46.6/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Moderate

59.3/100

O3 (ozone):

Good

16.8/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Moderate

46.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

2.2/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Fair

28.6/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Very poor

80.9/100

Other Landmarks in Vereeniging

Sports venues in Vereeniging

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Three Rivers right now?

On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Three Rivers is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 59.0/100. Pollution peaks around 9:00 PM (PM1: 59.0/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Three Rivers?

On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Three Rivers will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at very poor at 80.9/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM1: 80.9/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Three Rivers?

Winter is when air quality dips most at Three Rivers, as still mornings allow emissions from government, finance, and commercial operations to concentrate under a Highveld inversion layer. From spring onward, increasing rain and wind generally keep conditions clearer through summer and into early autumn, a seasonal pattern typical of the wider Highveld plateau.

Are air quality levels in Three Rivers 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 20:27 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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