Daily monitoring of satellite data shows air quality in Metro Manila has not returned to normal levels
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has done daily monitoring of satellite data since the Navotas landfill fire reportedly broke out on 10 April 2026. As of Thursday (23 April), the Bureau of Fire Protection has reported “smoldering conditions” onsite and satellite data show that air quality in Metro Manila has not returned to normal levels. Daily monitoring of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration over Metro Manila (taken every 8:45AM), shows that levels are still higher than on 6 April, prior to the fire. Nitrogen dioxide is a pollutant produced from burning and is a component of smoke. The map shows the estimated smoke extent over Metro Manila and surrounding provinces at 8:45AM on Thursday, 23 April. Colors indicate the level of concentration of NO2, with darker red colors indicating higher levels of concentration. Please note that observations were limited to 8:45AM for daily comparison, but NO2 levels generally decrease throughout the day. This pattern is called a diurnal cycle w...
.jpg)
.jpg)