Climate and Average Weather in India
India has a very diverse climate due to its location and vast differences in geography. It means India has no less than seven climate zones. Because of the vast differences in climate types and climate data, it is important to carefully consider where you are going to and in what season you are traveling to India.
For example if you are thinking of visiting Delhi then best to visit the capital in October, February and March. That's when the nights are cool and the days are filled with sunshine. Delhi is one of the major cities with the highest air pollution and this is intensified by the burning of garbage by farmers in the area. Every year, Delhi breathes its worst air from Nov 1 to 15. May, June and July are very hot in Delhi with temperatures reaching over 45 degrees (113 Fahrenheit). It is a dry heat and is sometimes accompanied by dusty desert winds and more smog.
Most of the rain in the country falls between May and September and it can be tropical rains in India's coastal cities. If you go to eastern India during this period, you are almost guaranteed to experience heavy rain and a significant chance of flooding and other misery due to extreme precipitation.
The best travel time for the rest of India is very varied. The rainy season arrives in Kerala around the end of May. With regular and prolonged rain showers, alternating with heat and sunshine which creates extreme humidity. This can be quite intense. So the best travel time in the south of India is during the cool, dry season, between November and March. November is the most beautiful month in terms of nature. Everything is still green because the rainy season just passed. Just keep in mind that there will still be some occasional rain during this month.
The North of India can best be visited in October and November or starting mid-February till May. From December to January it can still get very cold up the mountains.
The best travel time for Ladakh are the months of June to September, even in May you can travel through Ladakh. For higher trekking however, May and June are on the early side since there is still a lot of snow on the roads. Ladakh is in most years reachable by road from mid-May.
Interested in more detailed Weather and Climate information for India?
Please select the city below you wish to travel to, or the one closest to your destination. Each selected city will show you the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.