Aerosols reduce the surface reaching solar flux by scattering the incoming solar radiation out to space. Various model studies on climate change suggest that surface cooling induced by aerosol scattering is the largest source of uncertainty in predicting the future climate. In the present study measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and its direct radiative forcing efficiency has been presented over a typical tropical urban environment namely Hyderabad during 2001 and 2002. Diurnal variation of AOD suggesting that AOD is high during afternoon hours. AOD decreases with increase in wavelength, i.e. maximum AOD observed at 380 nm. Average monthly variation of AOD at different wavelengths observed to be minimum in January, moderately high in February to March, maximum in April and decreasing in May. AOD has been observed to be high during 2002 compared to 2001. AOD showed positive correlation with air temperature and negative correlation with rainfall. A statistical fit between AOD (500 nm) and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR which is in the range of 400-700 nm solar spectrum) shows negative correlation. The present study suggests -23 W m(-2) reduction in the ground reaching solar flux for every 0.1 increase in aerosol optical depth over the study area. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.