Climate and Weather of India
India has an incredibly diverse climate, attributable to its geographical location and vast differences in geography. This diversity is evident in the fact that the country encompasses no fewer than seven distinct climate zones. Given this variability in climate types and weather patterns, it's crucial for travelers to carefully consider their destination within India, as well as the season of their visit.If you are thinking of visiting Delhi the best time to visit the capital is in October, February, and March. During these months, the nights are cool and the days are filled with sunshine. Be awara that Delhi is one of the major cities with the highest air pollution, a situation intensified by the burning of crop residue by farmers in the area. Every year, Delhi experiences its worst air quality from November 1 to 15. May, June, and July are very hot in Delhi, with temperatures reaching over 45°C. It's a dry heat, sometimes accompanied by dusty desert winds and increased smog.
Most of the rain in the country falls between May and September, with tropical rains common in India's coastal cities. If you visit eastern India during this period, you're almost guaranteed to experience heavy rain and a significant chance of flooding and other difficulties due to extreme precipitation.
The best travel time for the rest of India varies greatly. The rainy season arrives in Kerala around the end of May, with regular and prolonged rain showers alternating with heat and sunshine, creating extreme humidity. This can be quite intense. Therefore, the best travel time in the south of India is during the cool, dry season, between November and March. November is particularly beautiful in terms of nature. Everything is still green from the recent rainy season. 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 from mid-February until May. From December to January, it can still get very cold in the mountains.
The best travel time for Ladakh is from June to September, although travel through Ladakh is possible even in May. For higher trekking, however, May and June are on the early side since there's still a lot of snow on the routes. Ladakh is typically reachable by road from mid-May most years.
Are you interested in more detailed information for various cities in India?
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see 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.