Today's air quality in London in plain language — and in season, the pollen — updated hourly.
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Today's air quality in central London, updated hourly — and in spring and summer, the pollen. Air pollution is the reason London has the ULEZ; on still, cold or very hot days it climbs, and it matters most for children, older people and anyone with asthma or a heart condition.
Good The air is about as clean as it gets — no reason to change any plans.
Peak modelled counts for today. Hay fever symptoms typically start when counts pass about 50 grains/m³ — grass is the one that affects most people in the UK (May–July); birch is a spring tree pollen (March–May).
| Pollen | Level | Peak today |
|---|---|---|
| Grass | Moderate | 42 grains/m³ |
| Birch | Low | 0 grains/m³ |
| Day | Air quality | Grass pollen |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 5 Jul | Fair | Moderate |
| Mon 6 Jul | Fair | High |
| Tue 7 Jul | Moderate | Moderate |
| Wed 8 Jul | Poor | — |
Most of London's air pollution comes from road traffic — nitrogen dioxide and fine particles (PM2.5) from engines, brakes and tyres. That is what the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the Congestion Charge are meant to cut. Levels are usually worst beside busy roads and on still days when nothing blows the air away.
On high-pollution days, children, people over 65, and anyone with asthma, other lung conditions or a heart condition may notice symptoms and should take it easier outdoors. Most people are fine, but if pollution is high and you feel wheezy or short of breath, ease off and follow your usual medical advice.
Updated . These are modelled estimates for the area around central London, not readings from a street monitor — air right beside a busy road can be worse than the area-wide picture. Official forecast: uk-air.defra.gov.uk. Air quality data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), based on Copernicus CAMS.