SmogRank / Malawi / Southern Region

Air quality in Zomba

Southern Region, Malawi. PM2.5 from 3 low-cost sensors, updated hourly.

1.4 µg/m³
Good

Latest hour (03:00 UTC), 0.1× the WHO 24-hour guideline.

Rank

24 h
–
not enough data
7 days
#20
of 2,330 · 55.9 µg/m³
30 days
#9
of 2,327 · 61.4 µg/m³
Year
–
not enough data

Why it ranks here

Unusually bad for Zomba. The last 7 days averaged 55.9 µg/m³, about 2.6× its typical day (21.8). A jump like this usually has a short-lived cause: likely smoke from fires, dust, or stagnant weather trapping local emissions.

Likely fire smoke. On Sep 24, when Zomba averaged 67.6 µg/m³ (its typical day: 21.8), NASA satellites detected 2,114 fires within 300 km (81 within 100 km). Smoke from those fires is a likely contributor; we don't check which way the wind blew, and mapped smoke can be high above the ground.

Based on Zomba's own measurements, with fire detections from NASA FIRMS and smoke maps from NOAA HMS; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.

Last 4 days, hour by hour

15302026-10-01 00:00 UTC: 9.9 µg/m³2026-10-01 01:00 UTC: 2.6 µg/m³2026-10-01 02:00 UTC: 0.7 µg/m³2026-10-01 03:00 UTC: 1.4 µg/m³Sep 28Sep 29Sep 30

Times in UTC. Dashed line: WHO 24-hour guideline (15 µg/m³).

Every day for a year

SepNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepMonWedFri2025-09-29: no data2025-09-30: no data2025-10-01: no data2025-10-02: no data2025-10-03: no data2025-10-04: no data2025-10-05: no data2025-10-06: no data2025-10-07: no data2025-10-08: no data2025-10-09: no data2025-10-10: no data2025-10-11: no data2025-10-12: no data2025-10-13: no data2025-10-14: no data2025-10-15: no data2025-10-16: no data2025-10-17: no data2025-10-18: no data2025-10-19: no data2025-10-20: no data2025-10-21: no data2025-10-22: no data2025-10-23: no data2025-10-24: no data2025-10-25: no data2025-10-26: no data2025-10-27: no data2025-10-28: no data2025-10-29: no data2025-10-30: no data2025-10-31: no data2025-11-01: no data2025-11-02: no data2025-11-03: no data2025-11-04: no data2025-11-05: no data2025-11-06: no data2025-11-07: no data2025-11-08: no data2025-11-09: no data2025-11-10: no data2025-11-11: no data2025-11-12: no data2025-11-13: no data2025-11-14: no data2025-11-15: no data2025-11-16: no data2025-11-17: no 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data2026-01-09: no data2026-01-10: no data2026-01-11: no data2026-01-12: no data2026-01-13: no data2026-01-14: no data2026-01-15: no data2026-01-16: no data2026-01-17: no data2026-01-18: no data2026-01-19: no data2026-01-20: no data2026-01-21: no data2026-01-22: no data2026-01-23: no data2026-01-24: no data2026-01-25: no data2026-01-26: no data2026-01-27: no data2026-01-28: no data2026-01-29: no data2026-01-30: no data2026-01-31: no data2026-02-01: no data2026-02-02: no data2026-02-03: no data2026-02-04: no data2026-02-05: no data2026-02-06: no data2026-02-07: no data2026-02-08: no data2026-02-09: no data2026-02-10: no data2026-02-11: no data2026-02-12: no data2026-02-13: no data2026-02-14: no data2026-02-15: no data2026-02-16: no data2026-02-17: no data2026-02-18: no data2026-02-19: no data2026-02-20: no data2026-02-21: no data2026-02-22: no data2026-02-23: no data2026-02-24: no data2026-02-25: no data2026-02-26: no data2026-02-27: no data2026-02-28: no data2026-03-01: no data2026-03-02: no data2026-03-03: no data2026-03-04: no data2026-03-05: no data2026-03-06: no data2026-03-07: no data2026-03-08: no data2026-03-09: no data2026-03-10: no data2026-03-11: no data2026-03-12: no data2026-03-13: no data2026-03-14: no data2026-03-15: no data2026-03-16: no data2026-03-17: no data2026-03-18: no data2026-03-19: no data2026-03-20: no data2026-03-21: 4.7 µg/m³2026-03-22: 5.2 µg/m³2026-03-23: 2.8 µg/m³2026-03-24: 4.1 µg/m³2026-03-25: 13.8 µg/m³2026-03-26: 8.8 µg/m³2026-03-27: 12.4 µg/m³2026-03-28: 5.4 µg/m³2026-03-29: 6.1 µg/m³2026-03-30: 6.1 µg/m³2026-03-31: 10.3 µg/m³2026-04-01: 8.9 µg/m³2026-04-02: 2.4 µg/m³2026-04-03: 3.8 µg/m³2026-04-04: 9.0 µg/m³2026-04-05: 3.4 µg/m³2026-04-06: 9.1 µg/m³2026-04-07: 12.4 µg/m³2026-04-08: 11.7 µg/m³2026-04-09: 6.3 µg/m³2026-04-10: 10.2 µg/m³2026-04-11: 9.4 µg/m³2026-04-12: 8.3 µg/m³2026-04-13: 18.8 µg/m³2026-04-14: 8.7 µg/m³2026-04-15: 16.2 µg/m³2026-04-16: 21.9 µg/m³2026-04-17: 17.1 µg/m³2026-04-18: 16.3 µg/m³2026-04-19: 8.6 µg/m³2026-04-20: 8.2 µg/m³2026-04-21: 9.0 µg/m³2026-04-22: 14.1 µg/m³2026-04-23: 10.0 µg/m³2026-04-24: 10.5 µg/m³2026-04-25: no data2026-04-26: no data2026-04-27: 28.5 µg/m³2026-04-28: 16.6 µg/m³2026-04-29: 8.0 µg/m³2026-04-30: 23.2 µg/m³2026-05-01: 22.4 µg/m³2026-05-02: 16.4 µg/m³2026-05-03: 11.7 µg/m³2026-05-04: 10.7 µg/m³2026-05-05: 10.1 µg/m³2026-05-06: 15.3 µg/m³2026-05-07: 17.3 µg/m³2026-05-08: 30.0 µg/m³2026-05-09: 5.4 µg/m³2026-05-10: 4.3 µg/m³2026-05-11: 12.4 µg/m³2026-05-12: 14.7 µg/m³2026-05-13: 14.1 µg/m³2026-05-14: 13.1 µg/m³2026-05-15: 24.9 µg/m³2026-05-16: 14.2 µg/m³2026-05-17: 9.9 µg/m³2026-05-18: 17.0 µg/m³2026-05-19: 9.5 µg/m³2026-05-20: 9.8 µg/m³2026-05-21: 11.0 µg/m³2026-05-22: 13.8 µg/m³2026-05-23: 13.8 µg/m³2026-05-24: 11.8 µg/m³2026-05-25: 10.0 µg/m³2026-05-26: 28.0 µg/m³2026-05-27: no data2026-05-28: 15.8 µg/m³2026-05-29: 14.5 µg/m³2026-05-30: 11.2 µg/m³2026-05-31: 11.4 µg/m³2026-06-01: 13.1 µg/m³2026-06-02: 19.7 µg/m³2026-06-03: 21.6 µg/m³2026-06-04: 18.1 µg/m³2026-06-05: 22.1 µg/m³2026-06-06: 22.6 µg/m³2026-06-07: 26.3 µg/m³2026-06-08: 27.7 µg/m³2026-06-09: 33.6 µg/m³2026-06-10: 10.0 µg/m³2026-06-11: 7.1 µg/m³2026-06-12: 8.5 µg/m³2026-06-13: 22.4 µg/m³2026-06-14: 18.1 µg/m³2026-06-15: 12.4 µg/m³2026-06-16: 18.7 µg/m³2026-06-17: 20.7 µg/m³2026-06-18: 22.2 µg/m³2026-06-19: 24.7 µg/m³2026-06-20: 15.5 µg/m³2026-06-21: 19.4 µg/m³2026-06-22: 14.2 µg/m³2026-06-23: 17.8 µg/m³2026-06-24: 23.3 µg/m³2026-06-25: 17.6 µg/m³2026-06-26: no data2026-06-27: no data2026-06-28: 15.0 µg/m³2026-06-29: 21.4 µg/m³2026-06-30: 16.9 µg/m³2026-07-01: 13.7 µg/m³2026-07-02: 27.1 µg/m³2026-07-03: 35.4 µg/m³2026-07-04: 28.1 µg/m³2026-07-05: 22.3 µg/m³2026-07-06: 18.8 µg/m³2026-07-07: 20.3 µg/m³2026-07-08: 24.7 µg/m³2026-07-09: 27.0 µg/m³2026-07-10: 35.7 µg/m³2026-07-11: 27.5 µg/m³2026-07-12: 26.9 µg/m³2026-07-13: 45.2 µg/m³2026-07-14: 47.3 µg/m³2026-07-15: 44.8 µg/m³2026-07-16: 39.9 µg/m³2026-07-17: 35.5 µg/m³2026-07-18: 38.5 µg/m³2026-07-19: 28.3 µg/m³2026-07-20: 39.0 µg/m³2026-07-21: 38.0 µg/m³2026-07-22: 42.7 µg/m³2026-07-23: 40.5 µg/m³2026-07-24: 41.3 µg/m³2026-07-25: 42.2 µg/m³2026-07-26: 13.4 µg/m³2026-07-27: 18.5 µg/m³2026-07-28: 22.2 µg/m³2026-07-29: 26.1 µg/m³2026-07-30: 37.3 µg/m³2026-07-31: 33.6 µg/m³2026-08-01: 40.2 µg/m³2026-08-02: 24.6 µg/m³2026-08-03: 23.6 µg/m³2026-08-04: 30.1 µg/m³2026-08-05: 51.3 µg/m³2026-08-06: 48.1 µg/m³2026-08-07: 51.0 µg/m³2026-08-08: 64.9 µg/m³2026-08-09: 46.8 µg/m³2026-08-10: 40.0 µg/m³2026-08-11: 47.3 µg/m³2026-08-12: 74.4 µg/m³2026-08-13: 28.1 µg/m³2026-08-14: 11.2 µg/m³2026-08-15: 13.8 µg/m³2026-08-16: 11.1 µg/m³2026-08-17: 18.8 µg/m³2026-08-18: 31.0 µg/m³2026-08-19: 40.2 µg/m³2026-08-20: 25.2 µg/m³2026-08-21: 25.6 µg/m³2026-08-22: 29.4 µg/m³2026-08-23: 40.1 µg/m³2026-08-24: 55.7 µg/m³2026-08-25: 65.8 µg/m³2026-08-26: 54.5 µg/m³2026-08-27: no data2026-08-28: no data2026-08-29: 37.4 µg/m³2026-08-30: 37.5 µg/m³2026-08-31: 57.2 µg/m³2026-09-01: 97.7 µg/m³2026-09-02: 96.9 µg/m³2026-09-03: 83.7 µg/m³2026-09-04: 58.4 µg/m³2026-09-05: 64.2 µg/m³2026-09-06: 98.1 µg/m³2026-09-07: 54.4 µg/m³2026-09-08: 36.8 µg/m³2026-09-09: 24.6 µg/m³2026-09-10: 30.7 µg/m³2026-09-11: 36.2 µg/m³2026-09-12: 58.4 µg/m³2026-09-13: 70.4 µg/m³2026-09-14: 76.5 µg/m³2026-09-15: 88.5 µg/m³2026-09-16: 36.6 µg/m³2026-09-17: 35.5 µg/m³2026-09-18: 37.0 µg/m³2026-09-19: 84.6 µg/m³2026-09-20: 64.2 µg/m³2026-09-21: 69.8 µg/m³2026-09-22: 73.3 µg/m³2026-09-23: 63.2 µg/m³2026-09-24: 67.6 µg/m³2026-09-25: 62.9 µg/m³2026-09-26: 62.9 µg/m³2026-09-27: 43.7 µg/m³2026-09-28: no data2026-09-29: no data2026-09-30: 42.2 µg/m³
Good 0–9.0Moderate 9.1+Unhealthy for sensitive groups 35.5+Unhealthy 55.5+Very unhealthy 125.5+Hazardous 225.5+No data

121 of 185 measured days were over the WHO 24-hour guideline.

Daily world rank

#1#2169AprMayJunJulAugSep

Rank on each day's board (1 = most polluted city that day).

2026 against 2025, month by month

15JanFebMar 2026: 7.2 µg/m³MarApr 2026: 11.8 µg/m³AprMay 2026: 14.2 µg/m³MayJun 2026: 19.0 µg/m³JunJul 2026: 31.7 µg/m³JulAug 2026: 38.8 µg/m³AugSep 2026: 61.4 µg/m³SepOctNovDec

Faded bars: 2025. A month shows once it has 10 measured days.

Monitors

StationOperatorType
Chirunga, ZombaCC BY 4.0MUBAS Air QualityLow-cost
CBD, ZombaCC BY 4.0MUBAS Air QualityLow-cost
Kuchawe, ZombaCC BY 4.0MUBAS Air QualityLow-cost

No reference monitor here, so the value is the median of low-cost sensors (at least two reporting each hour). Low-cost sensors can read high in humid air. Data via OpenAQ; licences as listed. How we rank. Embed this on your site.

Other cities in Malawi

Blantyre 71.0Lilongwe 65.3Karonga 40.7Mzuzu 36.5

30-day averages, µg/m³. All of Malawi →

Updated 2026-10-01 05:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 in µg/m³ (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors.