Current air quality readings from monitoring stations near Brighton
General population
Enjoy your usual outdoor activities.
At-risk groups
Enjoy your usual outdoor activities.
Brighton's main monitoring station is part of the Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN), the UK's largest automatic air quality monitoring network. The station measures key pollutants including NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and ozone.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from road traffic is Brighton's primary air quality concern. The council has designated several Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) where pollution exceeds national objectives, particularly along busy corridors like the A270.
Air quality tends to be worse during rush hours and on calm, warm days when pollutants don't disperse. Coastal breezes generally help ventilate the city, especially along the seafront.
Daily Air Quality Index — DEFRA's 1–10 scale summarising overall air pollution risk
Nitrogen dioxide — mainly from vehicle exhaust, can worsen respiratory conditions
Fine particulate matter under 2.5 microns — can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream
Particulate matter under 10 microns — includes dust, pollen, and combustion particles
Ground-level ozone — formed by sunlight reacting with NOx and VOCs, higher in summer
Sulphur dioxide — from industrial sources, now rare in Brighton but still monitored
Automatic Urban and Rural Network — DEFRA's national network of ~170 monitoring stations
Air Quality Management Area — zones where pollution exceeds national standards, triggering action plans
Air quality data is provided by DEFRA UK-AIR via the 52North Timeseries API. Readings are updated hourly. The Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) follows DEFRA guidelines and ranges from 1 (Low) to 10 (Very High).