Almaty residents surprised by air quality indicators after rain
Tengrinews.kz — Nearly 24 hours of continuous rain have brought Almaty residents more than just the inconvenience of flooded streets, bus stops, and metro stations; they have also delivered a welcome bonus. Today, November 11, the city's air quality has significantly improved. Residents are taking to social media to share air quality data and celebrate the chance to finally breathe deeply.
"Thank you, rain"
On November 11, Almaty residents began posting data about the metropolis's air quality on social media. Citizens are sharing readings from monitoring sensors and noting pollution levels across various districts.
Screenshot from the Threads social network
Another city resident shared results from an indoor air quality sensor, noting that it showed zero pollution even with a window wide open.
Screenshot from the Threads social network
According to data from the IQAir map, as of 4:00 PM, the city led the rankings for air purity among Kazakhstan's major urban centers.
Screenshot from iqair.com
No pollution detected?
Data from Kazhydromet confirms that residents have good reason to cheer. According to meteorologists, between midnight and 12:00 PM on November 11, 2024, no instances of pollutants exceeding safe levels were recorded.
The situation was starkly different over the preceding three days. Monitoring data from November 8–10 revealed that Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) were exceeded at several observation stations across various Almaty districts.
Specifically, a monitoring post near the intersection of Amangeldy and Satpayev streets recorded 64 instances of carbon monoxide levels exceeding the norm, reaching a peak of 3.8 MPC. Nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide levels were also found to be over the limit at the same location.
The highest nitrogen dioxide levels were recorded near the airport, reaching up to 4.8 MPC. Additionally, this post registered 57 cases of excessive nitrogen oxide and 16 cases of elevated PM-10 particulate matter.
Excessive levels were also detected near the Almaty Arena, in the Kulager micro-district, along Raiymbek Avenue, and in the Aksay-3 micro-district.
According to Kazhydromet, no exceedances were recorded at any other observation posts during the specified period.
As a reminder, the heavy rain that began on the evening of November 10 resulted in flooding across various parts of Almaty. On social media, residents have been posting videos of flooded sidewalks, complaining about the drainage systems and the difficulties of commuting to work and school.
The downpour also flooded the entrance to the Alatau metro station. Eyewitnesses posted video from the scene. The Almaty Metro administration explained that the flooding was caused by the heavy rainfall overwhelming the city's drainage network.