Air quality index for Halifax, as of (America/Halifax). Values update hourly — see this page for the current reading and hourly forecast. Today's peak: AQI 40 at 13:00 local time.

airindex·today

Air Quality in Halifax

Air quality in Halifax is good right now, at AQI 36, and today's forecast keeps it there — the highest hourly value is AQI 40. Today's main contributor is ozone, at 78 µg/m³.

Now, Oct 14at 20:00
36Good
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

By pollutant

  • O₃ ozone · sets the index nowAQI 36
  • PM₂.₅ fine particlesAQI 17
  • PM₁₀ coarse particlesAQI 5
  • NO₂ nitrogen dioxideAQI 3
  • CO carbon monoxideAQI 2
  • SO₂ sulfur dioxideAQI 1
Air quality is satisfactory — it's a great day to be active outside

Modeled forecast data. AQI values come from atmospheric models (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not local monitoring stations. Readings can differ from ground-level conditions — for exact street-level values, consult an official air quality station near you. The forecast is calculated for a grid square, roughly 11 km across Europe and 45 km elsewhere, and air quality can vary within one square.

The next 48 hours

Hourly air quality index for Halifax · Local time (ADT)

Today, Oct 14
Tomorrow, Oct 15
50
Peak 40 · 13:00
Peak 35 · 00:00
0:00
6:00
12:00
18:00
0:00
6:00
12:00
18:00

Good ≤ 50

Now
Show hourly data table
TimeAQIPM₂.₅µg/m³PM₁₀µg/m³O₃µg/m³NO₂µg/m³SO₂µg/m³COmg/m³°C
Today
00:00346.49.1743.80.70.168°
01:00345.88.4762.80.60.168°
02:00345.07.4792.00.50.158°
03:00344.36.4811.40.40.158°
04:00343.85.8821.00.30.159°
05:00353.65.6830.90.30.159°
06:00363.75.9840.90.30.159°
07:00374.06.4851.30.30.1510°
08:00374.57.1851.90.40.1510°
09:00385.28.1852.40.40.1510°
10:00383.34.6862.10.40.1511°
11:00392.93.9881.70.40.1512°
12:00392.53.2881.70.40.1512°
13:00402.22.9852.20.40.1513°
14:00401.52.0813.00.50.1614°
15:00401.51.9773.90.60.1714°
16:00392.22.9755.10.80.1814°
17:00392.73.3736.40.90.2015°
18:00382.52.9737.11.10.2115°
19:00372.02.3756.51.20.2114°
20:00361.71.9785.31.30.2114°
21:00361.51.7794.21.40.2014°
22:00351.41.7773.71.50.1914°
23:00351.31.5733.41.50.1813°
Tomorrow
00:00350.91.0703.11.50.1712°
01:00350.50.5682.71.30.1611°
02:00340.30.3662.21.00.1610°
03:00340.20.3651.80.80.1610°
04:00330.20.2651.40.70.1610°
05:00330.20.2671.10.70.169°
06:00320.20.2670.90.70.169°
07:00310.20.2661.10.70.178°
08:00310.30.3641.40.70.177°
09:00310.40.5631.60.70.178°
10:00300.50.6641.40.60.178°
11:00300.50.5661.00.50.169°
12:00300.40.5680.70.40.159°
13:00300.40.4690.60.40.159°
14:00310.40.4690.50.50.159°
15:00310.40.6690.60.50.159°
16:00310.50.7690.90.50.159°
17:00310.60.9681.40.60.158°
18:00310.71.0671.90.60.167°
19:00320.91.2652.50.70.166°
20:00321.11.4633.20.80.165°
21:00311.21.4613.70.80.175°
22:00311.11.4593.80.80.174°
23:00301.11.3563.60.70.174°

Today at a glance

Worst hour
13:00
peaks at AQI 40
Tomorrow
Clean again, peak 35
peak at 00:00

The week, hour by hour

Tomorrow stays clean as well, with a forecast peak of AQI 35 (good). The whole 5-day outlook stays good, with daily peaks between AQI 29 and AQI 40.

Each cell is one forecast hour, coloured by air quality band. A ring marks the day's worst hour. The blue ring marks the current hour.

TodayOct 14
Peak 40 at 13:00
Heavy rain15° / 8°
ThuOct 15
Peak 35 at 00:00
Overcast12° / 4°
FriOct 16
Peak 29 at 00:00
Rain12° / 2°
SatOct 17
Peak 40 at 08:00
Light snow16° / 2°
SunOct 18
Peak 34 at 05:00
Overcast8° / 0°

Pollutants right now

Every pollutant on the same AQI scale as the big number above. The index only ever equals the worst score — pollutants don't add up.

050100150+
O₃ozone · sets the index now
36
PM₂.₅fine particles
17
PM₁₀coarse particles
5
NO₂nitrogen dioxide
3
COcarbon monoxide
2
SO₂sulfur dioxide
1
GoodModerateUnhealthy for Sensitive GroupsUnhealthyVery UnhealthyHazardous

The colors cover a wide area, not a street. The forecast works in squares of roughly 11 km across Europe and 45 km elsewhere, so the air where you actually are can differ from the shade under the city.

Check air quality in: Hartford · Lowell · Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve · Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie · Ahuntsic-Cartierville

About Halifax

CountryCanada, Nova Scotia
TimezoneAmerica/Halifax (UTC-3)
Coordinates44.64° N, 63.58° W
Population≈ 472K

Air quality in Halifax — common questions

What is the air quality in Halifax right now?

The current air quality index (AQI) in Halifax is 36 (Good). Today's forecast peak is AQI 40 (Good) at 13:00 local time, and tomorrow's forecast peak is AQI 35. These values come from the CAMS forecast model, not from a local monitoring station.

When is air quality expected to be worst in Halifax today?

Today's forecast puts the highest AQI in Halifax at 13:00 in the afternoon, reaching 40. The largest contributor right now is O₃. Air quality shifts through the day with traffic, wind, how well the air mixes and sunlight, so the hourly chart above shows the pattern for today and tomorrow.

What will the air quality be in Halifax tomorrow?

Tomorrow's forecast peak for Halifax is AQI 35 (Good) around 00:00 local time, much the same as today's peak of 40. A next-day forecast is less certain than today's, so check back in the morning for the updated hourly curve.

Which pollutants drive the AQI in Halifax today?

The air quality index in Halifax is set by O₃ right now. The modelled level this hour is 78 µg/m³, within the World Health Organization's 2021 guideline of 100 µg/m³. The others follow: PM₂.₅ (AQI 17), PM₁₀ (AQI 5), NO₂ (AQI 3), CO (AQI 2), and SO₂ (AQI 1).
Pollutant levels in Halifax at the current hour
PollutantSub-indexLevelWHO 2021Vs guideline
O₃3678 µg/m³100 µg/m³ (8h)0.8×
PM₂.₅171.7 µg/m³15 µg/m³ (24h)0.1×
PM₁₀51.9 µg/m³45 µg/m³ (24h)0.04×
NO₂35.3 µg/m³25 µg/m³ (24h)0.2×
CO20.21 mg/m³4 mg/m³ (24h)0.1×
SO₂11.3 µg/m³40 µg/m³ (24h)0.03×
The overall AQI is the highest of the six sub-indices, so the pollutant with the highest sub-index is the one setting the number shown on this page. Sub-indices are computed over the EPA's averaging periods, while the levels are modelled values for the current hour.

Is air quality improving in Halifax this week?

Over the 5-day forecast, daily peak AQI in Halifax stays between 29 and 40. These are peak values: each day still has cleaner and dirtier hours, which the chart above shows.

How is air quality forecast for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada?

Air quality for Halifax is forecast with the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), operated by ECMWF. CAMS models hourly levels of PM2.5, PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Halifax lies at 44.6° N in the Northern Hemisphere, which sets the seasonal pattern of sunlight that drives much of the chemistry behind these pollutants. AQI values on this page use the US EPA scale.
About the Air Quality Index

What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to communicate how clean or polluted the air is and what health effects may be of concern. The AQI runs from 0 to 500 and is divided into six color-coded categories: Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous.

How do I read the AQI values?

Lower AQI values mean cleaner air. An AQI of 0–50 (green) is Good, 51–100 (yellow) is Moderate, 101–150 (orange) is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 151–200 (red) is Unhealthy, 201–300 (purple) is Very Unhealthy, and 301–500 (maroon) is Hazardous. When the AQI exceeds 100, air quality is considered unhealthy — at first for sensitive groups, then for everyone as the AQI rises.

Who are the sensitive groups?

Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teenagers, people who are pregnant, and people who are active outdoors. These groups are more likely to be affected when air quality is poor. If you are in a sensitive group, you can reduce your exposure by taking fewer and shorter outdoor walks when the AQI is elevated.

Which pollutants are measured?

The AQI covers five major pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone (O₃), particle pollution (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). An AQI value is calculated for each pollutant, and the highest value determines the overall AQI.

Where does the air quality data come from?

The hourly air quality data comes from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which provides global atmospheric composition forecasts. The data is accessed via Open-Meteo, which provides free, open-source weather and air quality APIs. The AQI categories and health guidance follow the EPA AirNow technical standard (EPA-454/B-24-002).

What are the health effects of poor air quality?

Poor air quality can cause respiratory issues, aggravate asthma and allergies, and increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. Fine particles (PM₂.₅) can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes millions of premature deaths worldwide each year.

How often is the air quality forecast updated?

The CAMS air quality forecast is updated regularly using atmospheric models. Weather data such as temperature and cloud cover comes from Open-Meteo. The forecast provides up to 5 days of hourly air quality predictions.

AQI Levels (US EPA Standard)

Good (0–50) — Air quality is satisfactory — it's a great day to be active outside
Moderate (51–100) — Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or intense outdoor activity
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101–150) — Sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or intense outdoor activity. Take more breaks and watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath
Unhealthy (151–200) — Everyone should reduce prolonged or intense outdoor activity. Sensitive groups should avoid outdoor exertion. Consider moving activities indoors
Very Unhealthy (201–300) — Everyone should avoid prolonged or intense outdoor exertion. Sensitive groups should avoid all outdoor physical activity. Move activities indoors or reschedule
Hazardous (301–500) — Health warning — everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity. Stay indoors and keep activity levels light. Follow tips for keeping particle levels low indoors

AQI categories and health guidance: EPA AirNow (EPA-454/B-24-002, May 2024). Air quality data: CAMS/Copernicus via Open-Meteo.