SmogRank / South Africa / KwaZulu-Natal

Air quality in Richards Bay

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. PM2.5 from 7 low-cost sensors, updated hourly.

3.9 µg/m³
Good

Latest hour (04:00 UTC), 0.3× the WHO 24-hour guideline.

Rank

24 h
–
not enough data
7 days
#619
of 2,330 · 9.4 µg/m³
30 days
#308
of 2,327 · 12.1 µg/m³
Year
#475
of 2,160 · 11.2 µg/m³

Why it ranks here

Likely fire smoke. On Sep 24, when Richards Bay averaged 23.5 µg/m³ (its typical day: 5.5), NASA satellites detected 178 fires within 300 km (21 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.

Seasonal. Over the past year its worst months were July, averaging up to 24.3 µg/m³ against 3.6 in its cleanest month. Seasonal peaks usually come from heating, crop burning, fire or dust seasons.

Based on Richards Bay'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: 6.4 µg/m³2026-10-01 01:00 UTC: 6.6 µg/m³2026-10-01 02:00 UTC: 7.3 µg/m³2026-10-01 03:00 UTC: 4.8 µg/m³2026-10-01 04:00 UTC: 3.9 µg/m³Sep 28Sep 29Sep 30Oct 1

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

Every day for a year

SepNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepMonWedFri2025-09-29: 3.9 µg/m³2025-09-30: 1.9 µg/m³2025-10-01: 1.6 µg/m³2025-10-02: 3.4 µg/m³2025-10-03: 2.1 µg/m³2025-10-04: 1.9 µg/m³2025-10-05: 5.6 µg/m³2025-10-06: 13.2 µg/m³2025-10-07: 4.5 µg/m³2025-10-08: 13.9 µg/m³2025-10-09: 18.5 µg/m³2025-10-10: 11.7 µg/m³2025-10-11: 27.7 µg/m³2025-10-12: 28.1 µg/m³2025-10-13: 18.0 µg/m³2025-10-14: 17.3 µg/m³2025-10-15: 5.4 µg/m³2025-10-16: 4.2 µg/m³2025-10-17: 2.8 µg/m³2025-10-18: 7.7 µg/m³2025-10-19: 3.2 µg/m³2025-10-20: 5.7 µg/m³2025-10-21: 5.7 µg/m³2025-10-22: 5.6 µg/m³2025-10-23: 7.6 µg/m³2025-10-24: 11.3 µg/m³2025-10-25: 9.4 µg/m³2025-10-26: 4.8 µg/m³2025-10-27: 4.0 µg/m³2025-10-28: 3.6 µg/m³2025-10-29: 5.8 µg/m³2025-10-30: 5.2 µg/m³2025-10-31: 4.6 µg/m³2025-11-01: 7.6 µg/m³2025-11-02: 2.5 µg/m³2025-11-03: 2.5 µg/m³2025-11-04: 5.7 µg/m³2025-11-05: 4.6 µg/m³2025-11-06: 3.0 µg/m³2025-11-07: 1.4 µg/m³2025-11-08: 2.6 µg/m³2025-11-09: 4.7 µg/m³2025-11-10: 4.1 µg/m³2025-11-11: 6.4 µg/m³2025-11-12: 18.5 µg/m³2025-11-13: 8.6 µg/m³2025-11-14: no data2025-11-15: 5.5 µg/m³2025-11-16: 1.8 µg/m³2025-11-17: 2.0 µg/m³2025-11-18: 2.7 µg/m³2025-11-19: 2.5 µg/m³2025-11-20: 3.4 µg/m³2025-11-21: 6.9 µg/m³2025-11-22: 4.8 µg/m³2025-11-23: 5.3 µg/m³2025-11-24: 2.0 µg/m³2025-11-25: 3.8 µg/m³2025-11-26: 4.9 µg/m³2025-11-27: 11.7 µg/m³2025-11-28: 8.6 µg/m³2025-11-29: 4.3 µg/m³2025-11-30: 2.5 µg/m³2025-12-01: 2.1 µg/m³2025-12-02: 5.7 µg/m³2025-12-03: 1.8 µg/m³2025-12-04: 1.4 µg/m³2025-12-05: 4.1 µg/m³2025-12-06: 6.8 µg/m³2025-12-07: 2.1 µg/m³2025-12-08: 6.2 µg/m³2025-12-09: 13.9 µg/m³2025-12-10: 1.8 µg/m³2025-12-11: 1.3 µg/m³2025-12-12: 3.5 µg/m³2025-12-13: 5.6 µg/m³2025-12-14: 2.2 µg/m³2025-12-15: 3.7 µg/m³2025-12-16: 4.7 µg/m³2025-12-17: 5.6 µg/m³2025-12-18: 2.5 µg/m³2025-12-19: 2.3 µg/m³2025-12-20: 6.6 µg/m³2025-12-21: 1.8 µg/m³2025-12-22: 1.6 µg/m³2025-12-23: 2.3 µg/m³2025-12-24: 4.8 µg/m³2025-12-25: 2.8 µg/m³2025-12-26: 3.5 µg/m³2025-12-27: 1.5 µg/m³2025-12-28: 2.7 µg/m³2025-12-29: 1.1 µg/m³2025-12-30: 1.2 µg/m³2025-12-31: 3.3 µg/m³2026-01-01: 5.1 µg/m³2026-01-02: 2.9 µg/m³2026-01-03: 3.5 µg/m³2026-01-04: 3.1 µg/m³2026-01-05: 4.5 µg/m³2026-01-06: 6.2 µg/m³2026-01-07: 7.2 µg/m³2026-01-08: 7.0 µg/m³2026-01-09: 13.7 µg/m³2026-01-10: 6.3 µg/m³2026-01-11: 3.1 µg/m³2026-01-12: 0.9 µg/m³2026-01-13: 1.9 µg/m³2026-01-14: 1.5 µg/m³2026-01-15: 5.6 µg/m³2026-01-16: 6.2 µg/m³2026-01-17: 6.3 µg/m³2026-01-18: 4.8 µg/m³2026-01-19: 3.2 µg/m³2026-01-20: 3.0 µg/m³2026-01-21: 2.6 µg/m³2026-01-22: 4.9 µg/m³2026-01-23: 4.7 µg/m³2026-01-24: 3.4 µg/m³2026-01-25: 5.2 µg/m³2026-01-26: 6.7 µg/m³2026-01-27: 6.0 µg/m³2026-01-28: 4.4 µg/m³2026-01-29: 5.8 µg/m³2026-01-30: 3.2 µg/m³2026-01-31: 4.7 µg/m³2026-02-01: 4.5 µg/m³2026-02-02: 3.2 µg/m³2026-02-03: 2.5 µg/m³2026-02-04: 2.7 µg/m³2026-02-05: 2.9 µg/m³2026-02-06: 3.9 µg/m³2026-02-07: 5.5 µg/m³2026-02-08: 10.4 µg/m³2026-02-09: 6.2 µg/m³2026-02-10: 2.3 µg/m³2026-02-11: 3.6 µg/m³2026-02-12: 5.2 µg/m³2026-02-13: 14.8 µg/m³2026-02-14: 5.1 µg/m³2026-02-15: 0.3 µg/m³2026-02-16: 0.4 µg/m³2026-02-17: 2.1 µg/m³2026-02-18: 4.1 µg/m³2026-02-19: 9.4 µg/m³2026-02-20: 7.5 µg/m³2026-02-21: 3.1 µg/m³2026-02-22: 2.5 µg/m³2026-02-23: 1.6 µg/m³2026-02-24: 4.9 µg/m³2026-02-25: 4.2 µg/m³2026-02-26: 5.3 µg/m³2026-02-27: 4.2 µg/m³2026-02-28: 5.5 µg/m³2026-03-01: 13.6 µg/m³2026-03-02: 2.1 µg/m³2026-03-03: 1.1 µg/m³2026-03-04: 0.8 µg/m³2026-03-05: 0.7 µg/m³2026-03-06: 3.2 µg/m³2026-03-07: 3.8 µg/m³2026-03-08: 0.8 µg/m³2026-03-09: 1.6 µg/m³2026-03-10: 1.4 µg/m³2026-03-11: 2.4 µg/m³2026-03-12: 4.5 µg/m³2026-03-13: 2.9 µg/m³2026-03-14: 1.4 µg/m³2026-03-15: 1.3 µg/m³2026-03-16: 1.6 µg/m³2026-03-17: 2.1 µg/m³2026-03-18: 5.1 µg/m³2026-03-19: 5.8 µg/m³2026-03-20: 8.0 µg/m³2026-03-21: 3.2 µg/m³2026-03-22: 2.0 µg/m³2026-03-23: 6.9 µg/m³2026-03-24: 3.1 µg/m³2026-03-25: 1.9 µg/m³2026-03-26: 9.8 µg/m³2026-03-27: 8.8 µg/m³2026-03-28: 10.1 µg/m³2026-03-29: 5.3 µg/m³2026-03-30: 3.9 µg/m³2026-03-31: 1.9 µg/m³2026-04-01: 5.3 µg/m³2026-04-02: 4.6 µg/m³2026-04-03: 7.1 µg/m³2026-04-04: 1.4 µg/m³2026-04-05: 8.9 µg/m³2026-04-06: 3.5 µg/m³2026-04-07: 1.5 µg/m³2026-04-08: 8.8 µg/m³2026-04-09: 2.8 µg/m³2026-04-10: 6.2 µg/m³2026-04-11: 14.7 µg/m³2026-04-12: 13.7 µg/m³2026-04-13: 11.5 µg/m³2026-04-14: 14.2 µg/m³2026-04-15: 19.2 µg/m³2026-04-16: 7.6 µg/m³2026-04-17: 20.0 µg/m³2026-04-18: 8.9 µg/m³2026-04-19: 9.6 µg/m³2026-04-20: 4.9 µg/m³2026-04-21: 3.3 µg/m³2026-04-22: 3.0 µg/m³2026-04-23: 1.3 µg/m³2026-04-24: 1.9 µg/m³2026-04-25: 3.3 µg/m³2026-04-26: 12.5 µg/m³2026-04-27: 15.5 µg/m³2026-04-28: 1.3 µg/m³2026-04-29: 6.2 µg/m³2026-04-30: 6.9 µg/m³2026-05-01: 7.7 µg/m³2026-05-02: 5.7 µg/m³2026-05-03: 12.5 µg/m³2026-05-04: 17.8 µg/m³2026-05-05: 13.6 µg/m³2026-05-06: 2.8 µg/m³2026-05-07: 10.4 µg/m³2026-05-08: 16.0 µg/m³2026-05-09: 7.8 µg/m³2026-05-10: 11.1 µg/m³2026-05-11: 4.6 µg/m³2026-05-12: 10.3 µg/m³2026-05-13: 11.3 µg/m³2026-05-14: 1.4 µg/m³2026-05-15: 5.6 µg/m³2026-05-16: 4.6 µg/m³2026-05-17: 3.1 µg/m³2026-05-18: 4.1 µg/m³2026-05-19: 17.8 µg/m³2026-05-20: 11.8 µg/m³2026-05-21: 10.1 µg/m³2026-05-22: 5.0 µg/m³2026-05-23: 25.7 µg/m³2026-05-24: 20.9 µg/m³2026-05-25: 19.2 µg/m³2026-05-26: 18.9 µg/m³2026-05-27: 34.8 µg/m³2026-05-28: 40.7 µg/m³2026-05-29: 28.7 µg/m³2026-05-30: 5.3 µg/m³2026-05-31: 9.3 µg/m³2026-06-01: 13.0 µg/m³2026-06-02: 25.2 µg/m³2026-06-03: 45.2 µg/m³2026-06-04: 34.6 µg/m³2026-06-05: 16.2 µg/m³2026-06-06: 5.1 µg/m³2026-06-07: 9.4 µg/m³2026-06-08: 22.7 µg/m³2026-06-09: 16.9 µg/m³2026-06-10: 10.3 µg/m³2026-06-11: 14.3 µg/m³2026-06-12: 34.8 µg/m³2026-06-13: 4.3 µg/m³2026-06-14: 13.5 µg/m³2026-06-15: 22.9 µg/m³2026-06-16: 9.3 µg/m³2026-06-17: 18.3 µg/m³2026-06-18: 24.4 µg/m³2026-06-19: 13.3 µg/m³2026-06-20: 3.3 µg/m³2026-06-21: 2.5 µg/m³2026-06-22: 8.7 µg/m³2026-06-23: 35.8 µg/m³2026-06-24: 40.3 µg/m³2026-06-25: 29.2 µg/m³2026-06-26: 18.6 µg/m³2026-06-27: 9.3 µg/m³2026-06-28: 7.6 µg/m³2026-06-29: 11.9 µg/m³2026-06-30: 15.1 µg/m³2026-07-01: 31.5 µg/m³2026-07-02: 24.9 µg/m³2026-07-03: 16.2 µg/m³2026-07-04: 28.7 µg/m³2026-07-05: 34.5 µg/m³2026-07-06: 27.1 µg/m³2026-07-07: 27.7 µg/m³2026-07-08: 48.1 µg/m³2026-07-09: 30.6 µg/m³2026-07-10: 26.9 µg/m³2026-07-11: 15.2 µg/m³2026-07-12: 5.4 µg/m³2026-07-13: 13.1 µg/m³2026-07-14: 12.8 µg/m³2026-07-15: 22.4 µg/m³2026-07-16: 41.3 µg/m³2026-07-17: 39.8 µg/m³2026-07-18: 60.7 µg/m³2026-07-19: 58.4 µg/m³2026-07-20: 27.1 µg/m³2026-07-21: 20.4 µg/m³2026-07-22: 27.0 µg/m³2026-07-23: 45.4 µg/m³2026-07-24: 6.6 µg/m³2026-07-25: 10.8 µg/m³2026-07-26: 12.1 µg/m³2026-07-27: 16.8 µg/m³2026-07-28: 13.0 µg/m³2026-07-29: 4.7 µg/m³2026-07-30: 1.8 µg/m³2026-07-31: 1.8 µg/m³2026-08-01: 3.2 µg/m³2026-08-02: 4.2 µg/m³2026-08-03: 10.6 µg/m³2026-08-04: 19.9 µg/m³2026-08-05: 21.9 µg/m³2026-08-06: 34.7 µg/m³2026-08-07: 22.6 µg/m³2026-08-08: 31.6 µg/m³2026-08-09: 31.9 µg/m³2026-08-10: 0.8 µg/m³2026-08-11: 0.3 µg/m³2026-08-12: 0.3 µg/m³2026-08-13: 1.2 µg/m³2026-08-14: 3.9 µg/m³2026-08-15: 4.5 µg/m³2026-08-16: 6.6 µg/m³2026-08-17: 4.1 µg/m³2026-08-18: 12.1 µg/m³2026-08-19: 16.4 µg/m³2026-08-20: 11.3 µg/m³2026-08-21: 14.7 µg/m³2026-08-22: 25.4 µg/m³2026-08-23: 3.8 µg/m³2026-08-24: 13.8 µg/m³2026-08-25: 24.3 µg/m³2026-08-26: 5.5 µg/m³2026-08-27: 1.7 µg/m³2026-08-28: 2.0 µg/m³2026-08-29: 1.6 µg/m³2026-08-30: 13.8 µg/m³2026-08-31: 22.0 µg/m³2026-09-01: 28.8 µg/m³2026-09-02: 39.5 µg/m³2026-09-03: 47.7 µg/m³2026-09-04: 12.0 µg/m³2026-09-05: 3.2 µg/m³2026-09-06: 3.3 µg/m³2026-09-07: 1.5 µg/m³2026-09-08: 2.7 µg/m³2026-09-09: 1.0 µg/m³2026-09-10: 10.3 µg/m³2026-09-11: 18.7 µg/m³2026-09-12: 23.4 µg/m³2026-09-13: 16.7 µg/m³2026-09-14: 4.2 µg/m³2026-09-15: 14.2 µg/m³2026-09-16: 14.4 µg/m³2026-09-17: 0.7 µg/m³2026-09-18: 0.3 µg/m³2026-09-19: 0.9 µg/m³2026-09-20: 2.4 µg/m³2026-09-21: 13.8 µg/m³2026-09-22: 17.4 µg/m³2026-09-23: 19.1 µg/m³2026-09-24: 23.5 µg/m³2026-09-25: 19.9 µg/m³2026-09-26: 10.4 µg/m³2026-09-27: 7.2 µg/m³2026-09-28: 0.8 µg/m³2026-09-29: 1.2 µg/m³2026-09-30: 2.6 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

75 of 364 measured days were over the WHO 24-hour guideline.

Daily world rank

#1#2416OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep

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

2026 against 2025, month by month

15Jan 2026: 4.8 µg/m³JanFeb 2025: 5.5 µg/m³Feb 2026: 4.6 µg/m³FebMar 2025: 5.6 µg/m³Mar 2026: 3.9 µg/m³MarApr 2025: 5.6 µg/m³Apr 2026: 7.7 µg/m³AprMay 2025: 14.8 µg/m³May 2026: 12.9 µg/m³MayJun 2025: 15.3 µg/m³Jun 2026: 17.9 µg/m³JunJul 2025: 14.0 µg/m³Jul 2026: 24.3 µg/m³JulAug 2025: 16.2 µg/m³Aug 2026: 12.0 µg/m³AugSep 2025: 14.2 µg/m³Sep 2026: 12.1 µg/m³SepOct 2025: 8.5 µg/m³OctNov 2025: 5.0 µg/m³NovDec 2025: 3.6 µg/m³Dec

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

This week against past years

This weekThis week: 9.4 µg/m³9.420252025: 5.8 µg/m³5.8

Mean PM2.5 for 24 Sept to 30 Sept in each year. Dashed line: WHO 24-hour guideline.

Monitors

StationOperatorType
Harbour West, KZN, ZA.CC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
Richardia, KZN, ZA.CC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
Brackenham, KZN, ZA.CC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
CBD, KZN, ZA.CC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
Meerensee, KZN, ZA.CC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
Airport, KZN, ZACC BY 4.0RBCAALow-cost
ScorpioCC BY 4.0RBCAALow-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 South Africa

Vereeniging 36.7Shakaskraal 16.2

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

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