Tirumala — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Tirumala across 1 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
Andhra Pradesh · Live Tirumala AQI →
At a glance
Based on 1 years of CPCB monitoring across 1 stations, Tirumala averages AQI 89 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as flat year-round. The worst month is November at AQI 122 (Moderate) and the cleanest is July at AQI 58 (Satisfactory) — a 64-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 65.8%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 121Summer
AQI 0Monsoon
AQI 59Post-monsoon
AQI 113Climograph — 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 59 | 61 | 103 | 122 | 121 | 89 |
| Avg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 59 | 61 | 103 | 122 | 121 | — |
Winter in Tirumala
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Tirumala averages AQI 121 across 25 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 28% are Good or Satisfactory. Winter in Tirumala is not the headline season, but shallow morning inversions can still produce short spikes. Tirumala'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 103 (Moderate), versus 103 (Moderate) for the rest of October. 5 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 60 (Satisfactory), compared with an annual mean of 89.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Tirumala averages AQI 0 across 0 measured days — Good on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 0% are Good or Satisfactory. Summer air in Tirumala 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. Tirumala's summer mean of 0 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 Tirumala averages AQI 59 across 71 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 100% are Good or Satisfactory. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 60, a 32.6% improvement on the annual mean of 89. 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 Tirumala.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Tirumala averages AQI 113 across 56 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 39.3% are Good or Satisfactory. Post-monsoon in Tirumala 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 1-year CPCB record.
Daily calendar heatmap
Every measured day for the last 1 years. Expand for the full 1-year archive.
Month-by-month deep dive
Tap any month to expand.
Jan—+0%
No data for this month.
Feb—+0%
No data for this month.
Mar—+0%
No data for this month.
Apr—+0%
No data for this month.
May—+0%
No data for this month.
Jun—+0%
No data for this month.
Jul2016–2016Latest AQI 58+0%
Jul in Tirumala averages AQI 58 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 58 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Aug2016–2016Latest AQI 59+0%
Aug in Tirumala averages AQI 59 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 59 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Sep2016–2016Latest AQI 61+0%
Sep in Tirumala averages AQI 61 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 61 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Oct2016–2016Latest AQI 103+0%
Oct in Tirumala averages AQI 103 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 103 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Nov2016–2016Latest AQI 122+0%
Nov in Tirumala averages AQI 122 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 122 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Dec2016–2016Latest AQI 121+0%
Dec in Tirumala averages AQI 121 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 121 in 2016. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
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 Tirumala.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Tirumala.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Tirumala or plan outdoor events — marathons, weddings, school sports, outdoor festivals — the CPCB record says July 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 Tirumala 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 Tirumala?
November is the most polluted month in Tirumala on average, with a long-run AQI of 122 — firmly in the Moderate band. This is drawn from 1 CPCB monitoring stations across 1 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 Tirumala?
July is the cleanest month of the year in Tirumala, averaging AQI 58 in the Satisfactory band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 89, so a visit window centred on July 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 Tirumala's air spike in November?
Tirumala's profile is relatively flat year-round; the small November reflects modest swings in wind, rainfall and local emissions rather than a dramatic seasonal mechanism.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Tirumala?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Tirumala averages AQI 103 — 1.01× the normal October baseline of AQI 103, a spike of 1 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 Tirumala's air?
Yes — meaningfully. Tirumala's core monsoon window (Jul 15 – Sep 15) averages AQI 60, a 32.6% improvement on the annual mean of 89. Rain removes airborne particulates by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Across 71 measured monsoon days we see 100% in the Good-or-Satisfactory band.
Is Tirumala's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
We need more years of CPCB coverage in Tirumala to quantify year-on-year change with confidence.
Which months are safest to visit Tirumala?
July is the single best month at AQI 58. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Tirumala are July (AQI 58), August (AQI 59), September (AQI 61). 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 Moderate territory.
How does Tirumala's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Tirumala 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 Tirumala's is Durgapur (West Bengal), with its own worst month in December. 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 Tirumala too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.