Abstract This study examines the impact of weather patterns-specifically, temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind speed on PM2.5 levels in Dhaka which is one of the world’s most polluted cities. Five years of data (2020–2024) from the U.S. Embassy’s air quality monitoring station and local meteorological records were analyzed to examine the impact of these variables. The findings reveal clear seasonal patterns: PM2.5 levels peak during the dry winter months, reaching up to 284.30 µg/m3, when low rainfall, stagnant air, and reduced humidity limit the dispersion of pollutants. Conversely, the monsoon conditions bring significant reductions in pollution due to frequent rainfall and stronger winds promote the washout of pollutants and atmospheric mixing. Strong negative correlations were observed between PM2.5 and rainfall (r = −0.79), wind speed (r = −0.67), and humidity (r = −0.51) indicating rainfall and wind as the most influential factors, while seasonal changes explained over 77% of the variation. These results underscore the importance of meteorological factors in shaping air quality and highlight the need for seasonally adaptive pollution control strategies and provides valuable guidance for policymakers and urban planners to mitigate health risks associated with air pollution, both in Dhaka and in other South Asian cities facing similar environmental challenges.
Billah et al. (Sat,) studied this question.