Cape Town pollen forecast — Tokai neighborhood

On 20 September 2026, overall pollen levels in Cape Town are moderate. Urtica is the main contributor to airborne pollen, while artemisia, cypress, morus, myrtle, and grass remain at lower levels

On 21 September 2026, pollen conditions in Cape Town will be different from today, with urtica at moderate levels, artemisia at moderate levels, morus at low levels, myrtle at low levels, grass at low levels and cypress continuing to decline

According to the five-day outlook, grass pollen levels are expected to gradually decrease, while urtica, artemisia, cypress, morus, and myrtle pollen will increase, suggesting mixed conditions later in the week.

On 20 September 2026, Urtica is the dominant pollen source in Cape Town. artemisia, cypress, morus, myrtle, and grass are also present but at lower levels. platanus and oak are not currently active.

From August, Tokai moves through its short Cape spring pollen window, fynbos and oak first, then grass through September and October, all playing out against the backdrop of the city bowl, harbour, and southern suburbs. The reliable southeasterly wind does much of the work keeping levels down outside this window. This mirrors the broader seasonal pattern seen across much of the Cape fynbos belt.

The Cape Town pollen forecast is updated four times daily. See the timestamp below for the most recent update.

Studies show that most pollen exposure (often 70–90%) comes from nearby sources, such as local trees and vegetation. A good pollen forecast therefore depends on accurately representing local vegetation. Pollen can travel long distances, but this usually matters only early in the season or during specific wind events.

Pollen data is often misunderstood. Most "pollen levels" are not real-time measurements, but forecasts.

Direct pollen measurements are typically delayed by 1-2 days because they require manual analysis. To show current conditions in Cape Town, modern forecasts combine recent measurements, weather data, and information about local vegetation.

This allows us to estimate pollen levels for today and the coming days, not just report the past.

Airmine’s atmospheric monitoring platform was developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team, using satellite and Earth observation technologies to improve emissions monitoring.