Regression Analysis and urban air quality forecasting: an application for the city of Athens

Air pollution forecasts in major urban areas are becoming a problem concerning the day to day environmental
management for city authorities. This paper describes the development of an application to
forecast the peak ozone levels with the aid of meteorological and air quality variables, in the Greater
Athens Area. For this purpose, a number of regression models were considered, while the selection of
the final model was based on extensive analysis and on literature. The model adapted includes variables
that are available on a daily basis, so as daily operational maximum ozone concentration level forecast
can be achieved.