Tirupati — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Tirupati across 3 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
Andhra Pradesh · Live Tirupati AQI →
At a glance
Based on 3 years of CPCB monitoring across 1 stations, Tirupati averages AQI 75 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as flat year-round. The worst month is April at AQI 100 (Satisfactory) and the cleanest is September at AQI 46 (Good) — a 54-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 84.0%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 74Summer
AQI 83Monsoon
AQI 61Post-monsoon
AQI 83Climograph — 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 123 | 78 | 95 |
| 2023 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 122 | 92 | 91 | 71 | 54 | 36 | 56 | 57 | 72 | 71 |
| 2024 | 35 | 48 | 79 | 75 | 57 | 69 | 81 | 63 | 62 | 138 | 91 | 117 | 75 |
| Avg | 56 | 66 | 81 | 99 | 71 | 78 | 76 | 58 | 46 | 82 | 83 | 88 | — |
Winter in Tirupati
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Tirupati averages AQI 74 across 168 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 85.7% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, winter improved by 12% in the most recent comparison. Winter in Tirupati is not the headline season, but shallow morning inversions can still produce short spikes. Tirupati'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 91 (Satisfactory), versus 77 (Satisfactory) for the rest of October. 12 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 56 (Satisfactory), compared with an annual mean of 75.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Tirupati averages AQI 83 across 104 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 77.9% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, summer improved by 27.7% in the most recent comparison. Summer air in Tirupati 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. Tirupati's summer mean of 83 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 Tirupati averages AQI 61 across 123 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 90.2% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, monsoon worsened by 23.1% in the most recent comparison. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 56, a 25.3% improvement on the annual mean of 75. 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 Tirupati.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Tirupati averages AQI 83 across 104 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 79.8% are Good or Satisfactory. Year-on-year, post-monsoon worsened by 95.7% in the most recent comparison. Post-monsoon in Tirupati 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 Tirupati is improving overall — AQI moved from 95 in 2022 to 75 in 2024, a -21.1% change. No month shows a material worsening of 10% or more. No month shows a material improvement of 10% or more. Because Tirupati's seasonal shape is flat year-round, policy action that targets the April 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 35-57%
Jan in Tirupati averages AQI 35 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 82 in 2023. Direction: improving (-57.3%).
Feb2023–2024Latest AQI 48-42%
Feb in Tirupati averages AQI 48 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 83 in 2023. Direction: improving (-42.2%).
Mar2023–2024Latest AQI 79-7%
Mar in Tirupati averages AQI 79 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 85 in 2023. Direction: stable (-7.1%).
Apr2023–2024Latest AQI 75-39%
Apr in Tirupati averages AQI 75 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 122 in 2023. Direction: improving (-38.5%).
May2023–2024Latest AQI 57-38%
May in Tirupati averages AQI 57 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 92 in 2023. Direction: improving (-38.0%).
Jun2023–2024Latest AQI 69-24%
Jun in Tirupati averages AQI 69 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 91 in 2023. Direction: improving (-24.2%).
Jul2023–2024Latest AQI 81+14%
Jul in Tirupati averages AQI 81 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 71 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+14.1%).
Aug2023–2024Latest AQI 63+17%
Aug in Tirupati averages AQI 63 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 54 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+16.7%).
Sep2023–2024Latest AQI 62+72%
Sep in Tirupati averages AQI 62 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 36 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+72.2%).
Oct2023–2024Latest AQI 138+146%
Oct in Tirupati averages AQI 138 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 56 in 2023. Direction: worsening (+146.4%).
Nov2022–2024Latest AQI 91-26%
Nov in Tirupati averages AQI 91 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 123 in 2022. Direction: improving (-26.0%).
Dec2022–2024Latest AQI 117+50%
Dec in Tirupati averages AQI 117 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 78 in 2022. Direction: worsening (+50.0%).
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 Tirupati.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Tirupati.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Tirupati 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 April in Tirupati 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 Tirupati?
April is the most polluted month in Tirupati on average, with a long-run AQI of 100 — firmly in the Satisfactory band. This is drawn from 1 CPCB monitoring stations across 3 years of daily readings. Through April, 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 Tirupati?
September is the cleanest month of the year in Tirupati, averaging AQI 46 in the Good band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 75, 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 Tirupati's air spike in April?
Tirupati's profile is relatively flat year-round; the small April reflects modest swings in wind, rainfall and local emissions rather than a dramatic seasonal mechanism.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Tirupati?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Tirupati averages AQI 91 — 1.18× the normal October baseline of AQI 77, a spike of 14 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 Tirupati's air?
Yes — meaningfully. Tirupati's core monsoon window (Jul 15 – Sep 15) averages AQI 56, a 25.3% improvement on the annual mean of 75. Rain removes airborne particulates by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Across 123 measured monsoon days we see 90.2% in the Good-or-Satisfactory band.
Is Tirupati's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
Between 2022 and 2024, Tirupati's annual average AQI moved from 95 to 75 — a change of -21.1%. In the most recent year-on-year comparison, the winter season specifically improved by 12%. The long-run direction is improving — NCAP policy pressure, cleaner fuels and tighter vehicle standards are showing up.
Which months are safest to visit Tirupati?
September is the single best month at AQI 46. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Tirupati are September (AQI 46), January (AQI 56), August (AQI 59). 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 April, when the baseline jumps into Satisfactory territory.
How does Tirupati's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Tirupati 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 Tirupati's is Satna (Madhya Pradesh), 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 Tirupati too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.