Ramanathapuram — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Ramanathapuram across 3 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
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At a glance
Based on 3 years of CPCB monitoring across 1 stations, Ramanathapuram averages AQI 48 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as flat year-round. The worst month is January at AQI 61 (Satisfactory) and the cleanest is September at AQI 35 (Good) — a 26-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 94.4%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 60Summer
AQI 44Monsoon
AQI 44Post-monsoon
AQI 46Climograph — monthly averages and Poor+ days
Bars show the long-run AQI average per month. The overlay line counts days in Poor, Very Poor or Severe bands.
Year × month heatmap
One cell per year-month combination.
Each cell = monthly average AQI for that year-month combination. Row averages on the right, column averages at the bottom.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 101 | 41 | 45 | 61 | 62 | 60 |
| 2023 | 62 | 57 | 45 | 39 | 58 | 59 | 47 | 40 | 29 | 43 | 47 | 58 | 49 |
| 2024 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 39 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 32 | 24 | 55 | 59 | 42 |
| Avg | 61 | 58 | 50 | 39 | 42 | 45 | 39 | 58 | 35 | 38 | 54 | 60 | — |
Winter in Ramanathapuram
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 60 across 183 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 92.3% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, winter worsened by 1.5% in the most recent comparison. Winter in Ramanathapuram is not the headline season, but shallow morning inversions can still produce short spikes. Ramanathapuram's cleanest months lie elsewhere in the calendar, so the winter response is less about evacuation than about protecting sensitive groups on the worst individual days.
Diwali, stubble burning and the monsoon
Three India-specific signatures that shape the seasonal curve.
Diwali week impact
The 7-day window around Diwali averages AQI 66 (Satisfactory), versus 35 (Good) for the rest of October. 20 sampled days across the CPCB record.
Stubble-burning window (Oct 15 – Nov 15)
In-window severe-day share 0% vs 0% outside the window. The difference is a direct signal of upwind crop-residue transport.
Monsoon cleansing (Jul 15 – Sep 15)
Core monsoon window averages AQI 48 (Good), compared with an annual mean of 48.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 44 across 144 measured days — Good on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 97.9% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, summer improved by 11.2% in the most recent comparison. Summer air in Ramanathapuram is shaped by a very different mix of forces. Rising temperatures drive deeper vertical mixing which dilutes local emissions, but pre-monsoon dust storms, wildfires and heat-accelerated ozone formation can all push AQI higher on individual days. Ramanathapuram's summer mean of 44 is the lighter side of the year for outdoor activity, though hot afternoons can still irritate sensitive airways.
Monsoon
Monsoon (Jun–Jul–Aug–Sep) in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 44 across 223 measured days — Good on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 92.4% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, monsoon improved by 35.2% in the most recent comparison. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 48, a 0% improvement on the annual mean of 48. Rain scrubs particulates out by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Short-lived rebounds can happen between spells of rain, but the overall pattern is strongly favourable for outdoor activity. For anyone with asthma or heart conditions, monsoon is the easy-breathing stretch of the year in Ramanathapuram.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 46 across 169 measured days — Good on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 96.4% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, post-monsoon improved by 12.5% in the most recent comparison. Diwali and the three days either side of it average AQI 66 — 1.91× the normal October baseline of AQI 35 for Ramanathapuram, a spike of 32 points. Post-monsoon in Ramanathapuram is the handoff from clean monsoon air to the winter peak, and the transition is rarely gentle.
Month-by-month trajectories
How each month has moved across the 3-year CPCB record.
First year vs latest year
Annual and per-season comparison.
Across the 3-year CPCB record Ramanathapuram is improving overall — AQI moved from 60 in 2022 to 42 in 2024, a -30% change. No month shows a material worsening of 10% or more. No month shows a material improvement of 10% or more. Because Ramanathapuram's seasonal shape is flat year-round, policy action that targets the January peak buys disproportionate relief — most city-wide annual averages are dragged upwards by the worst two or three months.
Daily calendar heatmap
Every measured day for the last 3 years. Expand for the full 3-year archive.
Month-by-month deep dive
Tap any month to expand.
Jan2023–2024Latest AQI 60-3%
Jan in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 60 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 62 in 2023. Direction: stable (-3.2%).
Feb2023–2024Latest AQI 60+5%
Feb in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 60 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 57 in 2023. Direction: stable (+5.3%).
Mar2023–2024Latest AQI 59+31%
Mar in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 59 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 45 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+31.1%).
Apr2023–2024Latest AQI 39+0%
Apr in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 39 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 39 in 2023. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
May2023–2024Latest AQI 32-45%
May in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 32 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 58 in 2023. Direction: improving (-44.8%).
Jun2023–2024Latest AQI 28-53%
Jun in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 28 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 59 in 2023. Direction: improving (-52.5%).
Jul2023–2024Latest AQI 28-40%
Jul in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 28 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 47 in 2023. Direction: improving (-40.4%).
Aug2022–2024Latest AQI 25-75%
Aug in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 25 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 101 in 2022. Direction: improving (-75.2%).
Sep2022–2024Latest AQI 32-22%
Sep in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 32 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 41 in 2022. Direction: improving (-22.0%).
Oct2022–2024Latest AQI 24-47%
Oct in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 24 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 45 in 2022. Direction: improving (-46.7%).
Nov2022–2024Latest AQI 55-10%
Nov in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 55 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 61 in 2022. Direction: stable (-9.8%).
Dec2022–2024Latest AQI 59-5%
Dec in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 59 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 62 in 2022. Direction: stable (-4.8%).
Cities with similar (and opposite) seasonal profiles
Ranked by cosine similarity of 12-month AQI signatures across monitored Indian cities.
Similar seasonal profile
Cities whose 12-month AQI signature most closely matches Ramanathapuram.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Ramanathapuram.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Ramanathapuram or plan outdoor events — marathons, weddings, school sports, outdoor festivals — the CPCB record says September and the two adjacent months are the lowest-risk window. Daily variability still matters; check the live AQI page before committing on any specific date. Sensitive groups should treat January in Ramanathapuram as an indoor-air-priority month: close windows on high-AQI evenings, run a purifier with a HEPA filter rated for your room size, and reserve outdoor exercise for clear-weather mornings. On days above AQI 300, even healthy adults benefit from well-fitted N95 or KN95 masks for outdoor commutes.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most polluted month in Ramanathapuram?
January is the most polluted month in Ramanathapuram on average, with a long-run AQI of 61 — firmly in the Satisfactory band. This is drawn from 1 CPCB monitoring stations across 3 years of daily readings. Through January, residents should expect elevated PM2.5 and PM10, reduced visibility on cooler mornings, and strong recommendations from doctors to limit outdoor exertion, wear well-fitted N95 masks, and run indoor purifiers through evening and overnight hours when pollutant accumulation typically peaks.
What is the cleanest month to visit Ramanathapuram?
September is the cleanest month of the year in Ramanathapuram, averaging AQI 35 in the Good band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 48, so a visit window centred on September is the safest choice for outdoor sightseeing, marathons, school trips and wedding events. Mornings are usually the crispest time to head out; pollution tends to creep up slightly during the evening commute even in the cleanest months. Always cross-check the day-of live AQI before any high-exertion outdoor plan.
Why does Ramanathapuram's air spike in January?
Ramanathapuram's profile is relatively flat year-round; the small January reflects modest swings in wind, rainfall and local emissions rather than a dramatic seasonal mechanism.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Ramanathapuram?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Ramanathapuram averages AQI 66 — 1.91× the normal October baseline of AQI 35, a spike of 32 AQI points. Firework particulates combine with a cooler, more stagnant late-October atmosphere to produce some of the worst air-quality days of the entire year. Sensitive groups should treat Diwali eve and the two days after as peak-alert days: stay indoors, close windows by evening, run purifiers on high, and reserve any outdoor celebrations for daytime hours when mixing is strongest.
Does the monsoon actually clean Ramanathapuram's air?
Only partially. Ramanathapuram's monsoon window averages AQI 48, which is a 0% change from the annual mean of 48. Rain does scrub particulates, but the improvement here is modest — pointing to persistent local sources (industry, traffic, dust) that rain cannot fully wash away.
Is Ramanathapuram's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
Between 2022 and 2024, Ramanathapuram's annual average AQI moved from 60 to 42 — a change of -30%. In the most recent year-on-year comparison, the winter season specifically worsened by 1.5%. The long-run direction is improving — NCAP policy pressure, cleaner fuels and tighter vehicle standards are showing up.
Which months are safest to visit Ramanathapuram?
September is the single best month at AQI 35. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Ramanathapuram are September (AQI 35), October (AQI 37), April (AQI 39). These are the safest choices for outdoor itineraries, long walks, open-air concerts and day-trips. Sensitive groups can treat these months as near-normal activity windows but should still check live AQI for the specific date. Avoid planning outdoor-heavy trips in January, when the baseline jumps into Satisfactory territory.
How does Ramanathapuram's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Ramanathapuram is classified as flat year-round. Based on a 12-month cosine-similarity index computed across all monitored Indian cities, the city whose seasonal signature most closely resembles Ramanathapuram's is Kollam (Kerala), with its own worst month in January. Cities with similar signatures often respond to similar policy levers — if a neighbouring peer has demonstrated improvements through specific interventions (construction-dust controls, bus electrification, brick-kiln regulation), they are likely candidates for Ramanathapuram too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.