Sirsa — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Sirsa across 6 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
Haryana · Live Sirsa AQI →
At a glance
Based on 6 years of CPCB monitoring across 1 stations, Sirsa averages AQI 132 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as monsoon-cleansed. The worst month is November at AQI 235 (Poor) and the cleanest is August at AQI 82 (Satisfactory) — a 153-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0.5% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 41.3%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 133Summer
AQI 121Monsoon
AQI 106Post-monsoon
AQI 202Climograph — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 226 | 165 | 111 | 138 | 170 | 176 | 175 | 103 | 143 | 240 | 205 | 138 | 163 |
| 2020 | 91 | 105 | 74 | 87 | 127 | 119 | 87 | 57 | 69 | 179 | 236 | 151 | 115 |
| 2021 | 128 | 124 | 108 | 101 | 125 | 135 | 116 | 113 | 48 | 119 | 259 | 177 | 129 |
| 2022 | 120 | 106 | 109 | 168 | 196 | 168 | 84 | 76 | 81 | 139 | 219 | 158 | 135 |
| 2024 | 114 | 86 | 90 | 101 | 126 | 130 | 86 | 56 | 84 | 146 | 259 | 157 | 116 |
| Avg | 126 | 118 | 98 | 119 | 149 | 146 | 112 | 82 | 86 | 168 | 235 | 156 | — |
Winter in Sirsa
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Sirsa averages AQI 133 across 401 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 1% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 31.4% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, winter improved by 12.6% in the most recent comparison. Winter is the defining season for Sirsa's air quality. Shallow temperature inversions trap local vehicle, industrial and biomass emissions near ground level, while regional transport brings in additional smoke from post-monsoon biomass burning across Punjab and Haryana and dust from drier upwind regions. Cool, stagnant mornings compound the problem; visibility falls, respiratory complaints spike, and short-term pollution peaks of AQI 400+ are routine. Sensitive groups — children, elderly, asthma and cardiac patients — should treat the full Dec–Jan–Feb window as a mandatory mask-and-purifier period.
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 256 (Poor), versus 158 (Moderate) for the rest of October. 31 sampled days across the CPCB record.
Stubble-burning window (Oct 15 – Nov 15)
In-window severe-day share 3.5% vs 0.2% 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 86 (Satisfactory), compared with an annual mean of 132.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Sirsa averages AQI 121 across 431 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 0.9% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 42.9% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, summer improved by 32.5% in the most recent comparison. Summer air in Sirsa 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. Sirsa's summer mean of 121 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 Sirsa averages AQI 106 across 571 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 1.2% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 60.2% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, monsoon improved by 13.4% in the most recent comparison. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 86, a 34.8% improvement on the annual mean of 132. 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. Even in monsoon, Sirsa's baseline sits in the Moderate band, pointing to persistent year-round sources that rain alone cannot rinse away.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Sirsa averages AQI 202 across 268 measured days — Poor on the NAQI scale. 15.3% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 13.4% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, post-monsoon worsened by 18.9% in the most recent comparison. Diwali and the three days either side of it average AQI 256 — 1.62× the normal October baseline of AQI 158 for Sirsa, a spike of 98 points. The Oct 15 – Nov 15 stubble-burning window averages AQI 233, with 3.5% of days landing in the Severe band versus only 0.2% outside that window. Post-monsoon in Sirsa 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 6-year CPCB record.
First year vs latest year
Annual and per-season comparison.
Across the 6-year CPCB record Sirsa is improving overall — AQI moved from 163 in 2019 to 115 in 2024, a -29.4% change. Months that worsened most: Nov (+26.3%), Dec (+13.8%). Months that improved most: Jan (-49.6%), Feb (-47.9%), Mar (-18.9%), Apr (-26.8%). Because Sirsa's seasonal shape is monsoon-cleansed, policy action that targets the November 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 6-year archive.
Month-by-month deep dive
Tap any month to expand.
Jan2019–2024Latest AQI 114-50%
Jan in Sirsa averages AQI 114 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 226 in 2019. Direction: improving (-49.6%).
Feb2019–2024Latest AQI 86-48%
Feb in Sirsa averages AQI 86 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 165 in 2019. Direction: improving (-47.9%).
Mar2019–2024Latest AQI 90-19%
Mar in Sirsa averages AQI 90 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 111 in 2019. Direction: improving (-18.9%).
Apr2019–2024Latest AQI 101-27%
Apr in Sirsa averages AQI 101 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 138 in 2019. Direction: improving (-26.8%).
May2019–2024Latest AQI 126-26%
May in Sirsa averages AQI 126 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 170 in 2019. Direction: improving (-25.9%).
Jun2019–2024Latest AQI 130-26%
Jun in Sirsa averages AQI 130 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 176 in 2019. Direction: improving (-26.1%).
Jul2019–2024Latest AQI 86-51%
Jul in Sirsa averages AQI 86 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 175 in 2019. Direction: improving (-50.9%).
Aug2019–2024Latest AQI 56-46%
Aug in Sirsa averages AQI 56 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 103 in 2019. Direction: improving (-45.6%).
Sep2019–2024Latest AQI 84-41%
Sep in Sirsa averages AQI 84 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 143 in 2019. Direction: improving (-41.3%).
Oct2019–2024Latest AQI 146-39%
Oct in Sirsa averages AQI 146 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 240 in 2019. Direction: improving (-39.2%).
Nov2019–2024Latest AQI 259+26%
Nov in Sirsa averages AQI 259 (Poor) in the most recent year, having moved from 205 in 2019. Direction: worsening (+26.3%).
Dec2019–2024Latest AQI 157+14%
Dec in Sirsa averages AQI 157 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 138 in 2019. Direction: worsening (+13.8%).
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 Sirsa.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Sirsa.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Sirsa or plan outdoor events — marathons, weddings, school sports, outdoor festivals — the CPCB record says August 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 November in Sirsa 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 Sirsa?
November is the most polluted month in Sirsa on average, with a long-run AQI of 235 — firmly in the Poor band. This is drawn from 1 CPCB monitoring stations across 6 years of daily readings. Through November, 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 Sirsa?
August is the cleanest month of the year in Sirsa, averaging AQI 82 in the Satisfactory band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 132, so a visit window centred on August 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 Sirsa's air spike in November?
Sirsa shows a clear monsoon-cleansed signature — rain and deeper atmospheric mixing drop AQI to a seasonal trough, and everything else relative to that trough looks elevated. The specific November spike combines pre-monsoon dust, post-rain rebounds and the arrival of cool-season trapping effects.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Sirsa?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Sirsa averages AQI 256 — 1.62× the normal October baseline of AQI 158, a spike of 98 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 Sirsa's air?
Yes — meaningfully. Sirsa's core monsoon window (Jul 15 – Sep 15) averages AQI 86, a 34.8% improvement on the annual mean of 132. Rain removes airborne particulates by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Across 571 measured monsoon days we see 60.2% in the Good-or-Satisfactory band.
Is Sirsa's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
Between 2019 and 2024, Sirsa's annual average AQI moved from 163 to 115 — a change of -29.4%. In the most recent year-on-year comparison, the winter season specifically improved by 12.6%. The long-run direction is improving — NCAP policy pressure, cleaner fuels and tighter vehicle standards are showing up.
Which months are safest to visit Sirsa?
August is the single best month at AQI 82. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Sirsa are August (AQI 82), September (AQI 86), March (AQI 98). 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 November, when the baseline jumps into Poor territory.
How does Sirsa's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Sirsa is classified as monsoon-cleansed. Based on a 12-month cosine-similarity index computed across all monitored Indian cities, the city whose seasonal signature most closely resembles Sirsa's is Fatehābād (Haryana), with its own worst month in November. 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 Sirsa too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.