Climate in Delhi
Winter in Delhi is very chilly which peaks in at the start of November and continues till the month of February. The foggy and chilly weather during winters makes Delhi's climate a tough one to confront with.
New Delhi, the capital of India, has a hot and humid climate for most of the season. The city climate becomes very hot during the month of June which is followed by monsoon happening somewhere after September. Monsoon in Delhi is quite unpredictable where you can't predict which way they will turn. Delhi monsoon has never been like the one we witness in other parts of India, say for example Mumbai. Delhi is situated on the banks of river Yamuna with Himalayas being in the north of Delhi. This is the main reason behind Delhi's climate being called as the "Continental Climate".
Summer Season: The average temperature of New Delhi during summer ranges from 25º C to 46º C. This goes to show that Delhi summer is very cumbersome and bearing the heat is no child's play. May and June are considered to be the hottest months of the year. Summer in Delhi stays till October before tinge of winter starts to sets in. Summer in Delhi attributes its cause to Rajasthan hot waves called "Loo". These heat waves are immensely hot and one needs to take proper precaution during the season. The arrival of monsoon does bring some relief to Delhi, which comes no earlier than the end of June. Monsoon in Delhi does bring some respite to Delhities but this has still not been much predictable and has been rare at times.
Know Your City
Winter Season: In comparison to summer, winters are short. Winter Season starts from the end of November and continues till February-March. The cold waves from the Himalayan region makes the winters in New Delhi very chilly. Temperatures fall substantially down to as low as 3 to 4º C at the peak of winter. Winters in Delhi get really chilly with bonfires all round the streets of Delhi to beat the cold waves. Delhi is not aloof to the problems of fog and smog. In January, a dense fog envelopes the city, reducing visibility on the streets. It is advisable to take enough precautions while driving during night and morning because fog reduces the visibility to a great extent. Usually though, winter days are pleasant with bright sunlight in afternoons only.
Monsoon (Rainy Season): The city does not witness much of rainy season. The monsoon lasts from July to September. October sees the end of the monsoon but it is reasonably pleasant.
Following table gives you an idea of monthly rainfall in Delhi:
ANNUAL TEMPERATURE & RAINFALL CHART
Months Max Min Rainfall
January 21 07 25
February 24 10 22
March 30 15 17
April 36 21 07
May 41 27 08
June 40 29 65
July 35 27 211
August 34 26 173
September 34 25 150
October 35 19 31
November 29 12 01
December 23 08 05
Best Time to visit Delhi: If you are looking to visit Delhi, the best time is during October-November or February-March. During October-November, the atmosphere is little bit cool with sunny weather in mid day. February-March is the time when the nights are cool and the days filled with bright sunshine. This is the time when you can enjoy the best in Delhi.
Climate in Delhi