Weekly Air Quality Update for Sri Lanka

Weekly Air Quality Update for Sri Lanka

19 May – 25 May 2025

Summary

This is the weekly AQ social media text from 19  to 25 May 2025 for your review. 

Clean air from the pristine southern areas entered the country via southwesterly winds throughout the week. As a result, Sri Lanka experienced low air pollution across all air quality stations.

Summaries for the stations from 19 – 25 May 2025
Air Quality was:        

  • Moderate (AQI 51 – 100): Akurana, Digana, Battaramulla, Gampaha, Puttalam, and Trincomalee.
  • Good (AQI 0 – 50):  Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Colombo, Negombo, Ambalantota, Jaffna, and Dambulla. 

Weekly Average AQI for selected cities

Battaramulla(Pelawatte) recorded the highest weekly average AQI of 60. Nuwara Eliya recorded the lowest weekly AQI of 25.

Read more about AQ color scale and real-time air quality stations operated by FECT https://fect.lk/air-quality/

Observed fine particulate measurements by the minute for last days

The AQ variation at a fine temporal scale is shown in Colombo and Pelawatte for last three days. The peak value in Colombo was about 140 and Pelawatte was about 155.

Air Quality impact on human health

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) are generally 2.5 microns and smaller in size. Such particles are inhalable and easily lodges inside the lungs reducing capacity. PM2.5 is a concern for people’s health when levels in the air are high. The levels of risk are shown in the dial shown against the US EPA air quality standards. AQ has a scale that run from 0-500, that tells you how clean or polluted your air is. Each level on the scale corresponds to a different level of health concern.