Air & Pollen Check

Today's air quality in Cheltenham — and in season, the pollen — in plain words, updated hourly.

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About these tools

Town Tools builds free, public tools for Cheltenham and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

Right now

Good The air is about as clean as it gets — no reason to change any plans.

Air quality index · European Air Quality Index

European scale: under 20 is good, over 60 is poor

2.8 µg/m³

Fine particles (PM2.5)

The pollutant that matters most for health

5.4 µg/m³

Nitrogen dioxide

Mostly from traffic

49.0 µg/m³

Ozone

Forms on hot, sunny days

Pollen

Level

Peak today

Grass

Low

0 grains/m³

Birch

Low

0 grains/m³

Day

Air quality

Grass pollen

Tue 13 Oct

Fair

Low

Wed 14 Oct

Fair

Low

Thu 15 Oct

Fair

Low

Fri 16 Oct

Fair

Low

Worth knowing

Traffic is the main story, and the town sits in a bowl

Most of Cheltenham's air pollution comes from road traffic — nitrogen dioxide and fine particles (PM2.5) from engines, brakes and tyres — so it's usually worst beside the busiest roads, like the A40 through town and the ring road. Cheltenham also sits low, right under the Cotswold escarpment at Cleeve Hill and Leckhampton, so on still, cold days the air can sit rather than blow through, and levels edge up.

Pollen and hay fever

Ringed by grassland and Cotswold woodland, Cheltenham gets a real grass-pollen season through June and July and a birch spike earlier in the spring. When the grass or tree band shows high here, hay-fever sufferers usually feel it — the pollen figures on this page use the UK Met Office bands.

Who needs to take more care

On the higher-pollution days, young children, people over 65, and anyone with asthma, another lung condition or a heart condition may notice it and should take it a little easier outdoors. Most people won't be affected. If pollution is high and you feel wheezy or short of breath, ease off and follow your usual medical advice — in an emergency, call 999.

Air & Pollen Check

About these tools

Right now

Pollen today

Next few days

Worth knowing

Traffic is the main story, and the town sits in a bowl

Pollen and hay fever

Who needs to take more care