Air quality
Air quality in Katumba today
Updated
Unhealthy (US AQI 159) Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 5:00 am (02:00 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Katumba, Mbeya, Tanzania, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 159 Unhealthy
- PM2.5
- 79 µg/m³ 5.3× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 81 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 39 µg/m³
- Dominant pollutant
- PM2.5 sub-index 159
- Best hour today
- 8:00 am AQI 158
- European AQI
- 75
Air quality in Katumba right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Katumba, Mbeya, Tanzania is 159, which falls in the "Unhealthy" band (up to 200). Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed.
The index is driven mainly by PM2.5, whose own sub-index is 159. Fine and coarse particles come from traffic, heating, industry, dust and smoke; they build up on calm nights and clear when wind or rain arrives.
PM2.5 is 79 µg/m³, 5.3 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 81 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 39 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 21 µg/m³ (below the 24-hour guideline of 25).
Also this hour: carbon monoxide 624 µg/m³.
Katumba AQI forecast: next 48 hours
Over the next 24 hours the AQI is forecast to range from 158 around Mon 8:00 am to 168 around Tue 5:00 am, staying "Unhealthy" throughout.
The following day is expected to be worse, averaging about 174 against 161 for the next 24 hours.
| Local time (Africa/Dar_es_Salaam) | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ | PM10 µg/m³ | Ozone µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 5:00 am | 159 | Unhealthy | 79.2 | 81 | 39 |
| Mon 8:00 am | 158 | Unhealthy | 83.6 | 85 | 89 |
| Mon 11:00 am | 158 | Unhealthy | 37.4 | 40 | 131 |
| Mon 2:00 pm | 159 | Unhealthy | 60.3 | 63 | 173 |
| Mon 5:00 pm | 159 | Unhealthy | 65.4 | 68 | 166 |
| Mon 8:00 pm | 160 | Unhealthy | 101.3 | 103 | 99 |
| Mon 11:00 pm | 163 | Unhealthy | 110.1 | 113 | 63 |
| Tue 2:00 am | 165 | Unhealthy | 104.3 | 106 | 46 |
| Tue 5:00 am | 168 | Unhealthy | 110.1 | 112 | 25 |
| Tue 8:00 am | 170 | Unhealthy | 110.1 | 113 | 98 |
| Tue 11:00 am | 172 | Unhealthy | 50.4 | 54 | 153 |
| Tue 2:00 pm | 173 | Unhealthy | 69.2 | 72 | 196 |
| Tue 5:00 pm | 174 | Unhealthy | 71.2 | 74 | 190 |
| Tue 8:00 pm | 175 | Unhealthy | 112.7 | 115 | 97 |
| Tue 11:00 pm | 176 | Unhealthy | 135 | 138 | 58 |
| Wed 2:00 am | 178 | Unhealthy | 133.6 | 136 | 38 |
| Wed 5:00 am | 181 | Unhealthy | 133.6 | 136 | 30 |
Every third hour of the CAMS forecast via Open-Meteo. US AQI uses rolling averages (24 h for particles, 8 h for ozone), so it moves more slowly than the hourly concentrations.
Best time to be outside in Katumba today
Between 6 am and 9 pm local time, the cleanest air today is forecast around 8:00 am (AQI 158, Unhealthy) and the worst around 9:00 pm (AQI 161). The difference across the day is small, so timing matters little.
Katumba vs the rest of Tanzania
Across 14 Tanzania cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 47 (Good). Katumba at 159 is 112 points worse than average.
For context, the median across 3,909 cities worldwide is 57.
Air quality in cities near Katumba
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mbeya | 41 km | 94 | Moderate | 43 |
| Sumbawanga | 261 km | 60 | Moderate | 25.2 |
| Songea | 275 km | 65 | Moderate | 19.3 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Katumba, so the numbers on this page are model estimates. Models capture regional pollution well but can miss very local sources such as a busy road or a nearby fire.
Wildfire smoke
PM2.5 is forecast to reach 111 µg/m³ in the next 24 hours while NASA satellites detected 1362 fire hotspots within 300 km in the last day (nearest about 13 km away). Smoke is a likely contributor: keep windows closed, run an air purifier or HVAC filter, and check the fire map before heading out.
Advice for sensitive groups
At 159, children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with asthma, COPD or heart disease should limit time outdoors, especially strenuous activity. A well-fitted N95/FFP2 mask cuts particle exposure; it does not filter ozone.
What the US AQI numbers mean
| US AQI | Category | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-50 | Good | Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk; a good time for outdoor activity. |
| 51-100 | Moderate | Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should cut back on prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors; sensitive groups should avoid it and keep windows closed. |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Health alert: everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors, and sensitive groups should stay indoors. |
| 301-500 | Hazardous | Emergency conditions: everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity and stay indoors with filtered air if possible. The scale tops out at 500; heavier dust or smoke is shown as 500. |
Values on this page are modelled by CAMS (Copernicus) and served by Open-Meteo; they are estimates for the area around the city centre, not readings from an official monitor.
Nearby cities
More for Katumba
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), NASA FIRMS.