Worst air pollution Barcelona, today and tomorrow

On 18 July 2026, overall air quality in Barcelona is fair. PM2.5 is the main pollutant at 27.9/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 52.7/100).

On 19 July 2026, air quality conditions in Barcelona will be similar to today, with PM2.5 forecast at fair at 22.1/100. Pollution peaks around 3:00 PM (O3: 55.2/100).

What is the yearly air quality pattern like in Barcelona? The coldest months usually see the year's poorest conditions, since calm anticyclonic weather holds local traffic and wood-burning pollution near street level. Conditions generally start to recover in spring, as increasing wind and rainfall break up the stagnant air masses typical of winter. During summer, strong sunlight and high temperatures accelerate ozone formation, occasionally offsetting the drop in traffic and heating-related emissions. Autumn typically starts mild and can still see occasional ozone or dust episodes before rain and cooler temperatures gradually restore cleaner conditions. Being on the Mediterranean coast helps with dispersal most of the year, though summer tourism and North African dust episodes remain a factor.

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.