Is It Monsoon in Kolkata, India? Rainfall and Weather by Month

Kolkata, India JANUARY
19Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Peak season
13Β° to 26Β°
Cool & Sunny
The coldest month of the year, sunny and pleasant by day, though nights can occasionally dip below 10Β°C.
πŸ§₯ Light sweater for eveningsβ˜€οΈ Sunscreen
23Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Peak season
17Β° to 29Β°
Warm & Pleasant
Noticeably milder than January, with plenty of sunshine and comfortable days.
β˜€οΈ SunscreenπŸ§₯ Light layers
28Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
22Β° to 34Β°
Heat Arrives
The pre-monsoon heat sets in fast, still dry but noticeably hotter than winter.
β˜€οΈ SunscreenπŸ₯΅ Heat building
30Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
24Β° to 36Β°
Very Hot
Daytime highs regularly push past 36Β°C, with the occasional afternoon storm.
πŸ₯΅ Heat protectionβ˜” Light rain jacket
31Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
26Β° to 36Β°
Hottest Month
The hottest month of the year, humid and increasingly wet as the monsoon approaches.
πŸ₯΅ Extreme heatβ˜” Umbrella handy
31Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Off-peak season
27Β° to 34Β°
Monsoon Breaks
The rainy season begins in earnest, hot, muggy, and increasingly cloudy.
β˜” Umbrella essentialπŸ₯΅ Stay hydrated
30Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Off-peak season
26Β° to 33Β°
Peak Monsoon
Among the wettest, cloudiest months of the year, with the least sunshine of the whole year.
β˜” Heavy rain gearπŸŒ‚ Least sunshine of the year
30Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Off-peak season
26Β° to 33Β°
Deep Monsoon
Still very wet and overcast, nearly as rainy as July.
β˜” Heavy rain gearπŸ’§ Stay hydrated
30Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
26Β° to 33Β°
Monsoon Lingers
Rain remains frequent and heavy, with humidity staying high.
β˜” Umbrella handyπŸ’§ Still humid
28Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
24Β° to 32Β°
Rains Ease
The wettest part of the monsoon passes, with noticeably more sunshine returning by the month's end.
πŸ“…
Durga Puja, dates vary each year
Kolkata's biggest festival by far, a UNESCO-recognized ten-day celebration with thousands of elaborate pandals built across the city to honor the goddess Durga. Falling on the Hindu lunar calendar, it usually lands in September or October, and the city gets extremely busy during it.
β˜” Umbrella handyβ˜€οΈ Sun returning
25Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Shoulder season
19Β° to 30Β°
Pleasant Lull
A genuinely good stretch of weather between the monsoon and winter, though a late-season cyclone can occasionally pass through.
πŸ§₯ Light layersπŸŒ€ Slight cyclone risk
20Β°
β˜…β˜…β˜…
Peak season
14Β° to 27Β°
Cool & Clear
Dry, sunny, and mild, with the coolest, most comfortable weather of the year settling in.
πŸ§₯ Light sweater for eveningsβ˜€οΈ Sunscreen
Drag through the year Jan
⭐️
Jan
⭐️
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
⭐️
Dec
This month
Rainfall
13 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
7 hrs/day
54% of daylight hours
Humidity
69%
Comfortably humid
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
25 mm
2 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7.5 hrs/day
58% of daylight hours
Humidity
64%
Comfortably humid
Wind
5 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
30 mm
2 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7.5 hrs/day
58% of daylight hours
Humidity
61%
Comfortably humid
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
56 mm
4 rainy days this month
Sunshine
8 hrs/day
62% of daylight hours
Humidity
68%
Comfortably humid
Wind
10 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
155 mm
7 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7.5 hrs/day
58% of daylight hours
Humidity
73%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
10 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
295 mm
13 rainy days this month
Sunshine
4.5 hrs/day
35% of daylight hours
Humidity
80%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
8 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
345 mm
17 rainy days this month
Sunshine
3.5 hrs/day
27% of daylight hours
Humidity
83%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
8 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
345 mm
17 rainy days this month
Sunshine
4 hrs/day
31% of daylight hours
Humidity
84%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
305 mm
13 rainy days this month
Sunshine
4 hrs/day
31% of daylight hours
Humidity
83%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
160 mm
7 rainy days this month
Sunshine
6.5 hrs/day
50% of daylight hours
Humidity
78%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
5 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
20 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
7 hrs/day
54% of daylight hours
Humidity
71%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
10 mm
0 rainy days this month
Sunshine
6.5 hrs/day
50% of daylight hours
Humidity
71%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
β˜…β˜…β˜… peak season, β˜…β˜…β˜† decent shoulder months, β˜…β˜†β˜† true off-peak, based on rain frequency, heat, and haze.
Seasons at a glance
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Peak season: Jan, Feb, Dec
Kolkata's most comfortable stretch, sunny and pleasantly warm, largely free of both the summer heat and the monsoon's rain. Nights can occasionally dip below 10Β°C, so a sweater and light jacket are worth packing.
🌀️
Shoulder season: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
This tier spans real variety. November sits right after the monsoon, dry and warm with a genuinely pleasant lull, though a late-season cyclone can still occasionally pass through. March marks the start of the pre-monsoon heat, building through April and peaking in May as the monsoon approaches. September is still deep in the rains, while October sees the wettest part of the monsoon ease and sunshine gradually return.
β˜”
Off-peak season: Jun, Jul, Aug
The heart of the summer monsoon, hot, humid, and heavily overcast, with July bringing the least sunshine of the entire year. Rain is a near-daily event through this stretch, and cyclone activity also picks up again as the season transitions in and out.
Good to know
✈️
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International
Kolkata's airport connects to major Indian cities and a growing number of international destinations across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
πŸŽ‰
Durga Puja transforms the whole city
Kolkata's biggest festival, a UNESCO-recognized celebration with thousands of elaborate pandals built across the city, is also the single busiest and most crowded week of the year to visit.
πŸŒ€
Cyclone risk peaks before and after the monsoon
Storms from the Bay of Bengal can affect the city from April to December, with the sharpest risk from late April to early June and again in October and November. Cyclone Aila (2009) and Cyclone Amphan (2020) both caused major damage.
🌊
The city sits in a flood-prone delta
Kolkata's river, the Hooghly, is a branch of the Ganges, and the wider Ganges-Brahmaputra delta region is particularly prone to flooding during heavy rain.
Top attractions
1
Victoria Memorial
A vast white marble monument to Queen Victoria, built between 1906 and 1921, now a museum with 25 galleries of colonial-era art, artifacts, and portraiture.
2
Howrah Bridge
A cantilever bridge spanning the Hooghly River, opened in 1943 and officially named Rabindra Setu, still one of the busiest bridges of its kind in the world and an enduring symbol of the city.
3
Indian Museum
India's oldest and largest museum, founded in 1814, holding a vast collection of ancient sculpture, fossils, coins, and textiles just a short walk from Victoria Memorial.
Frequently asked questions
When is monsoon season in Kolkata?
Kolkata's monsoon season runs roughly from June through September, with July and August historically tied as the wettest months, each averaging around 345mm of rain across 17 days.
What is the best time of year to visit Kolkata?
Mid-December through February is historically Kolkata's most comfortable stretch, sunny and pleasantly warm, largely free of both the summer heat and the monsoon's rain.
What is the least favorable time to visit Kolkata?
July is historically among the wettest, cloudiest months of the year and brings the least sunshine of the entire year.
Which month has the most rain in Kolkata?
July and August are historically tied as the wettest months, each averaging around 345mm of rain.
Which month is the driest in Kolkata?
December is historically the driest month, averaging around 10mm of rain.
How hot does Kolkata get?
May is historically the hottest month of the year.
What should I pack for Kolkata during the rainy season?
An umbrella and rain gear are worth having from around June through September, when the monsoon brings the bulk of the year's rain.
Does cyclone risk affect Kolkata?
Storms from the Bay of Bengal can historically affect the city from April to December, with the sharpest risk from late April to early June and again in October and November.
Is there a major festival worth planning around in Kolkata?
Durga Puja, Kolkata's biggest festival, a UNESCO-recognized ten-day celebration with thousands of elaborate pandals, usually lands in September or October on the Hindu lunar calendar, and the city gets extremely busy during it.
Does Kolkata flood?
The city sits in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, and its river, the Hooghly, is prone to flooding during heavy monsoon rain.