Worst air pollution Warden, today and tomorrow

Today (20 September): Air quality in Warden is moderate. AQI, PM2.5, and PM1 are moderate; PM10, O3, and SO2 are fair; NO2, CO, and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM2.5: 54.9/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Warden is poor. AQI worsens to poor; PM2.5 increases to poor; SO2 decreases to good; PM1 increases to poor; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (PM2.5: 70.4/100). 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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Warden lies roughly 300 km east-northeast of Bloemfontein. Warden deals with the same basic air quality drivers as most Highveld towns: vehicle traffic and maize, sunflower, and grain farming operations, both of which matter most on calm winter mornings when a low inversion holds emissions close to the ground. Summer generally undoes this with stronger, more consistent winds. The wider Highveld region generally follows this same rough pattern.

Today - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Moderate

54.9/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Moderate

54.9/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Fair

25.3/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

14.6/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

34.0/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Fair

22.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

1.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

6.1/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Moderate

49.7/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 07:00

AQI:

Poor

70.4/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Poor

70.4/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Fair

39.0/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

11.3/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

38.9/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

13.0/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

1.2/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

8.3/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Poor

63.6/100

Pollen forecast in Warden

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Warden right now?

On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Warden is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 54.9/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (PM2.5: 54.9/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Warden?

On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Warden will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at poor at 70.4/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (PM2.5: 70.4/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Warden?

Winter is the tricky season for air quality at Warden, with calm mornings letting emissions from maize, sunflower, and grain farming operations build up under a typical Highveld inversion. Once the rainy season starts around November, conditions generally improve and stay that way into early autumn. This is a familiar pattern across much of the Highveld.

Are air quality levels in Warden 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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