Goa's best stretch: hot, sunny days with virtually no rain and pleasant evenings, cool enough some nights for a light sweatshirt. December's weather closely matches January and February, though a cyclone can still theoretically reach the coast even this late in the year. This is also the busiest, priciest window for beach resorts.

This tier spans real variety. March, April, and May bring the pre-monsoon heat, still dry but intensely hot as the wet season approaches. October and November sit just after the monsoon, hot and occasionally reaching similar highs, with rain tapering off fast. August is deep in the monsoon but easing slightly from July's extremes.

The heart of the southwest monsoon, when rain turns torrential, July alone averages nearly a meter. The sea turns rough and many beach facilities close for the season, with the sky staying overcast for days at a stretch. Hotel prices drop to their lowest point of the year to match.