Worst air pollution Nelson, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in Nelson is fair. O3 is the main pollutant at 31.1/100. Pollution peaks around 6:00 AM (NO2: 57.0/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in Nelson will be better than today, with AQI forecast at good at 19.0/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (O3: 19.0/100).

The shoulder seasons generally bring the mildest readings of the year. You can roughly predict Nelson's air quality just by knowing the time of year. Once the heating goes on and the air turns still, pollution from the M25 and nearby chimneys tends to build up rather than clear. In summer, ozone can build up on sunny afternoons, though windier, warmer weather usually helps clear traffic-related pollution faster than in winter.

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.