Air quality
Air quality in Masaka today
Updated
Moderate (US AQI 68) Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors. Model estimate for Mon, Oct 26, 4:00 am (01:00 UTC).
Live AQI, PM2.5, PM10 and ozone for Masaka, Central Region, Uganda, with a 48-hour forecast and the best time to be outside.
- US AQI now
- 68 Moderate
- PM2.5
- 25 µg/m³ 1.7× WHO 24-h guideline
- PM10
- 28 µg/m³
- Ozone
- 23 µg/m³
- Dominant pollutant
- PM2.5 sub-index 68
- Best hour today
- 6:00 am AQI 70
- European AQI
- 46
Air quality in Masaka right now
Right now the modelled US Air Quality Index for Masaka, Central Region, Uganda is 68, which falls in the "Moderate" band (up to 100). Acceptable for most people. Unusually sensitive people should consider shortening long or heavy exertion outdoors.
The index is driven mainly by PM2.5, whose own sub-index is 68. 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 25 µg/m³, 1.7 times the WHO 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³; PM10 is 28 µg/m³ against a guideline of 45; ozone is 23 µg/m³ (below the WHO 8-hour level of 100); nitrogen dioxide is 8.3 µg/m³ (below the 24-hour guideline of 25).
Also this hour: carbon monoxide 275 µg/m³.
Masaka AQI forecast: next 48 hours
Over the next 24 hours the AQI is forecast to range from 68 around Mon 4:00 am to 76 around Tue 1:00 am, staying "Moderate" throughout.
The following day looks similar, averaging about 73.
| Local time (Africa/Kampala) | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ | PM10 µg/m³ | Ozone µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 4:00 am | 68 | Moderate | 25.1 | 28 | 23 |
| Mon 7:00 am | 71 | Moderate | 21.5 | 24 | 34 |
| Mon 10:00 am | 72 | Moderate | 16.4 | 21 | 70 |
| Mon 1:00 pm | 73 | Moderate | 13.3 | 16 | 86 |
| Mon 4:00 pm | 73 | Moderate | 10.6 | 13 | 87 |
| Mon 7:00 pm | 72 | Moderate | 16.1 | 18 | 73 |
| Mon 10:00 pm | 72 | Moderate | 43.3 | 45 | 49 |
| Tue 1:00 am | 76 | Moderate | 36.1 | 38 | 36 |
| Tue 4:00 am | 75 | Moderate | 15.9 | 17 | 37 |
| Tue 7:00 am | 74 | Moderate | 27.3 | 29 | 44 |
| Tue 10:00 am | 75 | Moderate | 13.6 | 16 | 75 |
| Tue 1:00 pm | 74 | Moderate | 11.6 | 13 | 87 |
| Tue 4:00 pm | 74 | Moderate | 10.7 | 12 | 87 |
| Tue 7:00 pm | 74 | Moderate | 17 | 18 | 76 |
| Tue 10:00 pm | 73 | Moderate | 31.3 | 32 | 48 |
| Wed 1:00 am | 69 | Moderate | 23.1 | 24 | 34 |
| Wed 4:00 am | 67 | Moderate | 12.3 | 13 | 32 |
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 Masaka today
Between 6 am and 9 pm local time, the cleanest air today is forecast around 6:00 am (AQI 70, Moderate) and the worst around 11:00 am (AQI 73). The difference across the day is small, so timing matters little.
Masaka vs the rest of Uganda
Across 6 Uganda cities we track, the average US AQI right now is 75 (Moderate). Masaka at 68 is 7 points cleaner than average.
For context, the median across 3,556 cities worldwide is 58.
Air quality in cities near Masaka
| City | Distance | US AQI | Category | PM2.5 µg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajansi | 108 km | 72 | Moderate | 30.9 |
| Kyengera | 110 km | 72 | Moderate | 30.9 |
| Bunamwaya | 112 km | 72 | Moderate | 30.9 |
| Nansana | 118 km | 72 | Moderate | 30.9 |
| Kampala | 119 km | 72 | Moderate | 30.9 |
| Kira | 129 km | 91 | Moderate | 46.2 |
| Kigali | 259 km | 64 | Moderate | 15.4 |
| Bunia | 267 km | 58 | Moderate | 13.6 |
Model vs measured
We found no measured PM2.5 sensor cell within 25 km of Masaka, 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.
Advice for sensitive groups
At 68, most people are fine outdoors. If you are unusually sensitive to PM2.5, keep long or intense workouts to the cleaner hours shown above.
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 Masaka
Air quality elsewhere
Data: Open-Meteo Air Quality API, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).