Smog in Cape Town — Live Data: AQI, Fine Dust, Wind, UV and Health Advice

Latest air quality data: Cape Town

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Pollution and air quality forecast for Cape Town. Today is Thursday, August 27, 2026. The following air pollution values have been recorded for Cape Town:

particulate matter (PM2.5) dust - 105 (Very Unhealthy)
particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust - 108 (Unhealthy)
ozone (O3) - 0 (Good)
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - 88 (Moderate)
sulfur dioxide (SO2) - 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)
carbon monoxide (CO) - 2492 (Moderate)

Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for Cape Town, Thursday, August 27, 2026: 5.

AQI 5 Very Unhealthy

What is the air quality in Cape Town today? Is the air polluted in Cape Town?. Is there smog?

Today (Thursday, August 27, 2026) air quality is very poor in Cape Town. Healthy people will commonly show symptoms of respiratory problem. People with respiratory or heart diseases will be significantly affected by air quality and will experience reduced endurance in in typical outdoor activities. Children, seniors and individuals with heart or lung diseases should stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities in Cape Town. Other residents should reduce outdoor activities.

What is the current level of PM2.5 in Cape Town? (particulate matter (PM2.5) dust)
Today's PM2.5 level is: 105 (Very Unhealthy) For comparison, the highest level of PM2.5 in Cape Town in the last 7 days was: 87 (Thursday, August 27, 2026) and the lowest: 12 (Tuesday, August 25, 2026).

What is the level of PM10 today in Cape Town? (particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust)
The current level of particulate matter PM10 in Cape Town is: 108 (Unhealthy)

How is the O3 level today in Cape Town? (ozone (O3))
0 (Good)

How high is the level of NO2? (nitrogen dioxide (NO2))
88 (Moderate)

What is the level of SO2 pollution? (sulfur dioxide (SO2))
108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)

How high is the CO level? (carbon monoxide (CO))
2492 (Moderate)

Current data Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 3:00 AM

PM2,5 105 (Very Unhealthy)

PM10 108 (Unhealthy)

O3 0 (Good)

NO2 88 (Moderate)

SO2 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)

CO 2492 (Moderate)

Data on air pollution from recent days in Cape Town

index	2026-08-27	2026-08-26	2026-08-25	2026-08-24	2026-08-23	2026-08-22	2026-08-21	2026-08-20
pm25	87 Very Unhealthy	45 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	12 Good	18 Moderate	38 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	28 Moderate	21 Moderate	23 Moderate
pm10	95 Unhealthy	48 Moderate	15 Good	23 Moderate	42 Moderate	35 Moderate	24 Moderate	29 Moderate
o3	71 Moderate	58 Good	61 Good	61 Good	57 Good	47 Good	58 Good	51 Good
no2	53 Moderate	34 Good	7 Good	10 Good	21 Good	18 Good	15 Good	15 Good
so2	83 Moderate	55 Moderate	9 Good	14 Good	36 Good	30 Good	19 Good	21 Good
co	960 Good	957 Good	167 Good	159 Good	576 Good	225 Good	309 Good	276 Good

data source »

Quality of life in Cape Town

Green and Parks in the City

Cape Town 71%

Lesotho: 64% Namibia: 52% Botswana: 30% Zimbabwe: 41%

particulate matter PM2.5

Cape Town 16 (Moderate)

Pleasure of spending time in the city

Cape Town 75%

Lesotho: 54% Namibia: 72% Botswana: 67% Zimbabwe: 37%

particulate matter PM10

Cape Town 30 (Moderate)

Air Pollution

Cape Town 31%

Lesotho: 46% Namibia: 32% Botswana: 36% Zimbabwe: 60%

Garbage Disposal

Cape Town 73%

Lesotho: 18% Namibia: 65% Botswana: 55% Zimbabwe: 23%

Availability and quality of drinking water

Cape Town 73%

Lesotho: 64% Namibia: 66% Botswana: 60% Zimbabwe: 28%

Cleanliness and tidiness

Cape Town 59%

Lesotho: 46% Namibia: 65% Botswana: 51% Zimbabwe: 24%

Noise and Light pollution

Cape Town 39%

Lesotho: 57% Namibia: 46% Botswana: 26% Zimbabwe: 62%

Water Pollution

Cape Town 51%

Lesotho: 67% Namibia: 45% Botswana: 39% Zimbabwe: 85%

Source: Numbeo

Cape Town

Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 3:00 AM

PM2,5 105 (Very Unhealthy)

particulate matter (PM2.5) dust

PM10 108 (Unhealthy)

particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust

O3 0 (Good)

ozone (O3)

NO2 88 (Moderate)

nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

SO2 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)

sulfur dioxide (SO2)

CO 2492 (Moderate)

carbon monoxide (CO)

Cape Town

index	2026-08-20	2026-08-21	2026-08-22	2026-08-23	2026-08-24	2026-08-25	2026-08-26	2026-08-27
pm25	23	21	28	38	18	12	45	87
pm10	29	24	35	42	23	15	48	95
o3	51	58	47	57	61	61	58	71
no2	15	15	18	21	10	6.8	34	53
so2	21	19	30	36	14	8.9	55	83
co	276	309	225	576	159	167	957	960

* Pollution data source: https://openaq.org () The data is licensed under CC-By 4.0

🌦️ Weather · 16-day Forecast — South Africa

16-day weather forecast for South Africa: today around 27°C (clear sky), lows near 12°C. Daily temperature and conditions, updated every day. A moderate breeze (about 17 km/h) is partially dispersing pollutants today.

☀️ UV Index · 16-day Forecast — South Africa

The UV index in South Africa today is 5.5 (moderate) — unprotected fair skin can burn in about 35 minutes.

📍 Air quality in nearby cities

Live PM2.5 around Cape Town — compare nearby locations.

Durban 15 µg/m³
Johannesburg 17 µg/m³
Soweto 17 µg/m³
Pretoria 8 µg/m³
Port Elizabeth 5 µg/m³
Pietermaritzburg 13 µg/m³
Benoni 16 µg/m³
Tembisa 16 µg/m³

Frequently asked questions

Is the air safe to breathe in Cape Town today?

The current average PM2.5 across Cape Town is about 105 µg/m³, rated “Very Unhealthy”. Sensitive groups should limit time outdoors and consider a mask; everyone should reduce prolonged exertion.

What is the current PM2.5 level in Cape Town?

Right now PM2.5 in Cape Town averages about 105 µg/m³ (“Very Unhealthy”). PM2.5 are fine particles small enough to reach the lungs and bloodstream.

Which day last week had the worst air in Cape Town?

Over the past week, the highest daily PM2.5 in Cape Town was recorded on Thursday, August 27 (about 87 µg/m³).

What is the UV index in Cape Town today?

The UV index in Cape Town today is 5.5 (moderate) — unprotected fair skin can burn in about 35 minutes.

Does today's wind help disperse smog in Cape Town?

A moderate breeze (about 17 km/h) is partially dispersing pollutants today.

How is air quality measured?

Air quality here is based on PM2.5 — the concentration of fine particulate matter in µg/m³. Lower values mean cleaner air. Data is updated daily from Open-Meteo.