India's weather is
extremely varied,
something you must take
into account when
planning your trip. The
most influential feature
of the subcontinent's
climate is the wet
season, or monsoon. This
breaks on the Keralan
coast at the end of May,
working its way
northeast across the
country over the
following month and a
half. While it lasts,
regular and prolonged
downpours are
interspersed with bursts
of hot sunshine, and the
pervasive humidity can
be intense. At the
height of the monsoon -
especially in the jungle
regions of the northwest
and the low-lying delta
lands of Bengal -
flooding can severely
disrupt communications,
causing widespread
destruction. In the
Himalayan foothills,
landslides are common,
and entire valley
systems can be cut off
for weeks.
By September, the
monsoon has largely
receded from the north,
but it takes another
couple of months before
the clouds disappear
altogether from the far
south. The east coast of
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu, and the south of
Kerala, get a second
drenching between
October and December,
when the "northwest" or
"retreating" monsoon
sweeps in from the Bay
of Bengal. By December,
however, most of the
subcontinent enjoys
clear skies and
relatively cool
temperatures.
Mid-winter sees the
most marked contrasts
between the climates of
north and south India.
While Delhi, for
example, may be ravaged
by chill winds blowing
off the snowfields of
the Himalayas, the Tamil
plains and coastal
Kerala, more than 1000km
south, still stew under
fierce post-monsoon
sunshine. As spring
gathers pace, the centre
of the subcontinent
starts to heat up again,
and by late March
thermometers nudge 33°C
across most of the
Gangetic Plains and
Deccan plateau.
Temperatures peak in May
and early June, when
anyone who can retreats
to the hill stations.
Above the baking
subcontinental land
mass, hot air builds up
and sucks in humidity
from the southwest,
causing the onset of the
monsoon in late June,
and bringing relief to
millions of overheated
Indians.
The best time to
visit most of the
country, therefore, is
during the cool, dry
season, between November
and March. Delhi, Agra,
Varanasi and the
northern states,
including Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh, are
ideal at this time, and
temperatures in Goa and
central India remain
comfortable. The heat of
the south is never less
than intense but it
becomes stifling in May
and June, so aim to be
in Tamil Nadu and Kerala
between January and
March. From this time
onwards, the Himalayas
grow more accessible,
and the trekking season
reaches its peak in
August and September
while the rest of the
subcontinent is being
soaked by the rains
