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Air quality · Sindh, Pakistan

Karachi Air Quality Index (AQI) today

Modelled estimate for 17:00 local time (UTC+5), refreshed 3 Nov, 07:52 UTC+0.

97 Moderate

Live estimate · modelled

US EPA AQI17:00 UTC+5, 3 Nov Main pollutant: O₃

Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

This page uses EPA’s NowCast, which follows the last few hours, as the US government’s AirNow does. On a 24-hour average of particles, as many apps show, it is 84.

Over the next 24 hours the model expects the AQI to range from 75 around 15:00 to 100 around 18:00 (3 Nov).

204th most polluted of 849 cities worldwide right now, 12th of 19 in Pakistan.

What to do today

  • Long walk or run outside OK, lighter if very sensitive
  • Kids playing outside OK
  • Airing the house Open
  • Mask outdoors Not needed

Based on the US EPA’s health statement: “Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.” General guidance, not medical advice.

Last 24 hours and next 48

Past hours Forecast

18:00 · 115 19:00 · 101 20:00 · 90 21:00 · 89 22:00 · 87 23:00 · 87 00:00 · 85 01:00 · 84 02:00 · 83 03:00 · 82 04:00 · 80 05:00 · 78 06:00 · 77 07:00 · 79 08:00 · 85 09:00 · 88 10:00 · 89 11:00 · 89 12:00 · 87 13:00 · 85 14:00 · 84 15:00 · 83 16:00 · 83 17:00 · 97 18:00 · 100 19:00 · 90 20:00 · 85 21:00 · 85 22:00 · 85 23:00 · 85 00:00 · 85 01:00 · 85 02:00 · 85 03:00 · 84 04:00 · 83 05:00 · 82 06:00 · 81 07:00 · 83 08:00 · 89 09:00 · 93 10:00 · 93 11:00 · 90 12:00 · 84 13:00 · 79 14:00 · 77 15:00 · 75 16:00 · 77 17:00 · 93 18:00 · 97 19:00 · 84 20:00 · 77 21:00 · 77 22:00 · 77 23:00 · 77 00:00 · 77 01:00 · 76 02:00 · 75 03:00 · 74 04:00 · 72 05:00 · 71 06:00 · 71 07:00 · 76 08:00 · 93 09:00 · 94 10:00 · 87 11:00 · 80 12:00 · 76 Now

US EPA AQI per hour, UTC+5. Particles use EPA’s NowCast (a 12-hour weighted average), ozone and CO an 8-hour average. Lighter bars are the CAMS forecast.

Show as a table
TimeAQI
Mon 18:00115
Mon 19:00101
Mon 20:0090
Mon 21:0089
Mon 22:0087
Mon 23:0087
Tue 00:0085
Tue 01:0084
Tue 02:0083
Tue 03:0082
Tue 04:0080
Tue 05:0078
Tue 06:0077
Tue 07:0079
Tue 08:0085
Tue 09:0088
Tue 10:0089
Tue 11:0089
Tue 12:0087
Tue 13:0085
Tue 14:0084
Tue 15:0083
Tue 16:0083
Tue 17:00 · Now97
Tue 18:00 · Forecast100
Tue 19:00 · Forecast90
Tue 20:00 · Forecast85
Tue 21:00 · Forecast85
Tue 22:00 · Forecast85
Tue 23:00 · Forecast85
Wed 00:00 · Forecast85
Wed 01:00 · Forecast85
Wed 02:00 · Forecast85
Wed 03:00 · Forecast84
Wed 04:00 · Forecast83
Wed 05:00 · Forecast82
Wed 06:00 · Forecast81
Wed 07:00 · Forecast83
Wed 08:00 · Forecast89
Wed 09:00 · Forecast93
Wed 10:00 · Forecast93
Wed 11:00 · Forecast90
Wed 12:00 · Forecast84
Wed 13:00 · Forecast79
Wed 14:00 · Forecast77
Wed 15:00 · Forecast75
Wed 16:00 · Forecast77
Wed 17:00 · Forecast93
Wed 18:00 · Forecast97
Wed 19:00 · Forecast84
Wed 20:00 · Forecast77
Wed 21:00 · Forecast77
Wed 22:00 · Forecast77
Wed 23:00 · Forecast77
Thu 00:00 · Forecast77
Thu 01:00 · Forecast76
Thu 02:00 · Forecast75
Thu 03:00 · Forecast74
Thu 04:00 · Forecast72
Thu 05:00 · Forecast71
Thu 06:00 · Forecast71
Thu 07:00 · Forecast76
Thu 08:00 · Forecast93
Thu 09:00 · Forecast94
Thu 10:00 · Forecast87
Thu 11:00 · Forecast80
Thu 12:00 · Forecast76

Pollutants this hour

  • PM2.5 25.7 µg/m³ 24-hour mean 26.7 µg/m³ · 1.8× WHO’s 24-hour guideline (15) 83
  • PM10 38 µg/m³ 35
  • O₃ 127 µg/m³ 97
  • NO₂ 17 µg/m³ 8
  • SO₂ 13 µg/m³ 6
  • CO 0.42 mg/m³ 6

Modelled concentrations at the city’s location (CAMS). The sub-index uses the same averaging as the headline, so the highest one is the AQI.

Nearby cities

City AQI
Hyderabad Sindh 87
Quetta Balochistan 58
Bahawalpur Punjab 92
Multan Punjab 139
Arifwala Punjab 167
Dera Ismail Khan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 122
Jhang Sadr Punjab 180

Where this number comes from

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) forecasts air pollution worldwide on a grid (about 11 km over Europe, about 45 km elsewhere). We take the grid value at Karachi’s coordinates and score it with the US EPA’s method. It is a model, not a measurement: a nearby monitoring station can read quite differently, especially next to busy roads or during fires and dust storms.

Full methodology · Data: CAMS via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0); city list: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

  • Good 0–50
  • Moderate 51–100
  • Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101–150
  • Unhealthy 151–200
  • Very unhealthy 201–300
  • Hazardous 301–500

Questions

What is the AQI in Karachi right now?
97 on the US EPA scale (Moderate) at 17:00 UTC+5, 3 Nov. O₃ is the pollutant with the highest sub-index. This is a modelled estimate from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), not a reading from a monitoring station.

Is it safe to exercise outside in Karachi today?
For most people, yes. The EPA’s statement for “Moderate”: Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. General guidance, not medical advice.

Will the air in Karachi get better or worse tomorrow?
Over the next 24 hours the model expects the AQI to range from 75 around 15:00 to 100 around 18:00 (3 Nov). Forecasts beyond a day are less certain.

How does Karachi compare with other cities?
Right now it is the 204th most polluted of 849 cities we track worldwide, and 12th of 19 in Pakistan, all on the same US EPA scale.

Why does another app show a different AQI for Karachi?
Apps differ in source (government stations, low-cost sensors or a model like this one), in scale (US EPA, European, or a national index) and in averaging (hourly or NowCast, 8-hour, 24-hour). This page uses the US EPA AQI with EPA’s NowCast for particles, computed from the CAMS forecast for the city’s location.