Smog in Richards Bay — Live Data: AQI, Fine Dust, Wind, UV and Health Advice

Latest air quality data: Richards Bay

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

particulate matter (PM2.5) dust - 13 (Moderate)
particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust - 20 (Moderate)
ozone (O3) - 57 (Good)
nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - 2 (Good)
sulfur dioxide (SO2) - 2 (Good)
carbon monoxide (CO) - 80 (Good)

Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for Richards Bay, Thursday, August 27, 2026: 2.

AQI 2 Moderate

What is the air quality in Richards Bay today? Is the air polluted in Richards Bay?. Is there smog?

Today (Thursday, August 27, 2026) air quality is moderate in Richards Bay. Some pollutants in Richards Bay may slightly affect very few hypersensitive individuals. Air pollutants in Richards Bay may cause minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people.

What is the current level of PM2.5 in Richards Bay? (particulate matter (PM2.5) dust)
Today's PM2.5 level is: 13 (Moderate) For comparison, the highest level of PM2.5 in Richards Bay in the last 7 days was: 17 (Friday, August 21, 2026) and the lowest: 8 (Sunday, August 23, 2026).

What is the level of PM10 today in Richards Bay? (particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust)
The current level of particulate matter PM10 in Richards Bay is: 20 (Moderate)

How is the O3 level today in Richards Bay? (ozone (O3))
57 (Good)

How high is the level of NO2? (nitrogen dioxide (NO2))
2 (Good)

What is the level of SO2 pollution? (sulfur dioxide (SO2))
2 (Good)

How high is the CO level? (carbon monoxide (CO))
80 (Good)

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

PM2,5 13 (Moderate)

PM10 20 (Moderate)

O3 57 (Good)

NO2 2 (Good)

SO2 2 (Good)

CO 80 (Good)

Data on air pollution from recent days in Richards Bay

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	15 Moderate	11 Good	14 Moderate	15 Moderate	8 Good	16 Moderate	17 Moderate	15 Moderate
pm10	23 Moderate	17 Good	17 Good	18 Good	12 Good	19 Good	23 Moderate	21 Moderate
o3	59 Good	73 Moderate	73 Moderate	60 Good	68 Good	75 Moderate	60 Good	61 Good
no2	1 Good	1 Good	3 Good	4 Good	1 Good	3 Good	3 Good	3 Good
so2	2 Good	3 Good	5 Good	4 Good	2 Good	7 Good	5 Good	3 Good
co	107 Good	123 Good	249 Good	176 Good	97 Good	222 Good	208 Good	145 Good

data source »

Richards Bay

Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 3:00 AM

PM2,5 13 (Good)

particulate matter (PM2.5) dust

PM10 20 (Moderate)

particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust

O3 57 (Good)

ozone (O3)

NO2 1.5 (Good)

nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

SO2 2.2 (Good)

sulfur dioxide (SO2)

CO 80 (Good)

carbon monoxide (CO)

Richards Bay

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	15	17	16	7.7	15	14	11	15
pm10	21	23	19	12	18	17	17	23
o3	61	60	75	68	60	73	73	59
no2	2.8	3.3	2.6	1.4	4.4	3.2	1.5	1.2
so2	2.7	4.8	6.6	2.1	4.3	5.1	2.6	2
co	145	208	222	97	176	249	123	107

* 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 Richards Bay — compare nearby locations.

Cape Town 105 µg/m³
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

Frequently asked questions

Is the air safe to breathe in Richards Bay today?

The current average PM2.5 across Richards Bay is about 13 µg/m³, rated “Good”. Air quality is good — outdoor activities are fine for everyone.

What is the current PM2.5 level in Richards Bay?

Right now PM2.5 in Richards Bay averages about 13 µg/m³ (“Good”). PM2.5 are fine particles small enough to reach the lungs and bloodstream.

Which day last week had the worst air in Richards Bay?

Over the past week, the highest daily PM2.5 in Richards Bay was recorded on Friday, August 21 (about 17 µg/m³).

What is the UV index in Richards Bay today?

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

Does today's wind help disperse smog in Richards Bay?

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.