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

Is It Monsoon?
New Delhi, India JANUARY
14°
Shoulder season
8° to 21°
Cold & Hazy
The coldest month of the year, with persistent fog and some of the worst air quality of the year.
🧥 Warm layers😷 N95 mask recommended
18°
Peak season
11° to 24°
Mild & Clearer
Noticeably milder and less foggy than January, though pollution remains a real presence.
🧥 Light layers😷 Mask recommended
23°
Shoulder season
16° to 31°
Warming Fast
Pleasantly warm in the first half, though the heat builds quickly as the month goes on.
☀️ Sunscreen🥵 Heat building
29°
Shoulder season
21° to 37°
Hot Season Begins
Daytime highs regularly push past 37°C, with oppressive heat setting in for good.
🥵 Heat protection💧 Stay hydrated
33°
Shoulder season
26° to 40°
Scorching
Among the hottest months of the year, with temperatures that can reach the mid-40s Celsius.
🥵 Extreme heat💧 Stay hydrated
33°
Off-peak season
28° to 39°
Peak Heat
The hottest month of the year on average, with record highs above 48°C before the monsoon breaks.
🥵 Extreme heat🌅 Dawn outings only
32°
Off-peak season
27° to 36°
Monsoon Arrives
Heavy rain finally brings some relief from the heat, though humidity climbs sharply.
☔ Umbrella essential💧 Stay hydrated
31°
Off-peak season
27° to 34°
Deep Monsoon
The wettest month of the year, hot and humid, but with the cleanest air of the year thanks to the rain.
☔ Heavy rain gear⚠️ Flash-flood aware
30°
Shoulder season
25° to 34°
Monsoon Eases
Rain tapers off as the month goes on, still hot and humid but gradually improving.
☔ Umbrella handy🥵 Still humid
26°
Shoulder season
19° to 33°
Sunshine Returns
Drier air makes the lingering heat more bearable, though pollution starts climbing again.
☀️ Sunscreen😷 Pollution rising
21°
Peak season
13° to 28°
Comfortable but Smoggy
Pleasant temperatures and plenty of sun, offset by rapidly worsening air quality as the smog season begins.
📅
Diwali, dates vary each year
India's biggest festival brings citywide lights, fireworks, and celebration, but the fireworks also cause one of the sharpest annual spikes in Delhi's air pollution. Falling on the Hindu lunar calendar, it usually lands in late October or November.
🧥 Light layers😷 Mask recommended
16°
Peak season
8° to 23°
Cold Sets In
Nearly as cold as January, with fog becoming more frequent as the month goes on.
🧥 Warm layers🌫️ Fog possible
Drag through the year Jan
Jan
⭐️
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
⭐️
Nov
⭐️
Dec
This month
Rainfall
20 mm
2 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7 hrs/day
54% of daylight hours
Humidity
73%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
5 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
20 mm
3 rainy days this month
Sunshine
8 hrs/day
62% of daylight hours
Humidity
64%
Comfortably humid
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
15 mm
3 rainy days this month
Sunshine
8 hrs/day
62% of daylight hours
Humidity
54%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
13 mm
3 rainy days this month
Sunshine
9 hrs/day
69% of daylight hours
Humidity
39%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
30 mm
4 rainy days this month
Sunshine
9 hrs/day
69% of daylight hours
Humidity
40%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
8 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
79 mm
6 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7.5 hrs/day
58% of daylight hours
Humidity
54%
Dry, comfortable air
Wind
8 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
185 mm
12 rainy days this month
Sunshine
6 hrs/day
46% of daylight hours
Humidity
72%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
236 mm
13 rainy days this month
Sunshine
5.5 hrs/day
42% of daylight hours
Humidity
76%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
6 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
130 mm
7 rainy days this month
Sunshine
7.5 hrs/day
58% of daylight hours
Humidity
71%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
5 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
15 mm
2 rainy days this month
Sunshine
8.5 hrs/day
65% of daylight hours
Humidity
62%
Comfortably humid
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
5 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
8 hrs/day
62% of daylight hours
Humidity
65%
Comfortably humid
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
Rainfall
10 mm
1 rainy day this month
Sunshine
7 hrs/day
54% of daylight hours
Humidity
70%
Air feels heavy and sticky
Wind
3 km/h
Light, barely noticeable
★★★ peak season, ★★☆ decent shoulder months, ★☆☆ true off-peak, based on rain frequency, heat, and haze.
Seasons at a glance
🌟
Peak season: Feb, Nov, Dec
Delhi's most comfortable stretch, dry air, pleasant days, and a break from both the summer's extreme heat and the monsoon's rain. This is also when air pollution runs at its worst all year, so it's a real trade-off: comfortable temperatures paired with the smoggiest skies. November and February tend to be the more reliable picks; the deepest part of winter, roughly mid-December to late January, adds cold nights and persistent fog on top of the pollution.
🌤️
Shoulder season: Jan, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
This tier spans real extremes. January carries the last of winter's cold and fog. March starts pleasantly warm before the heat takes hold, and April is already deep in the hot season, with daytime highs regularly past 37°C. May and September flank the monsoon, one scorching and dry, the other hot and humid as the rains wind down. October brings back the sunshine, though the air is still warm and increasingly hazy.
Off-peak season: Jun, Jul, Aug
The hottest, wettest stretch of the year. June brings the last, most extreme heat before the monsoon breaks, with temperatures that have reached above 48°C. July and August bring the bulk of the rain along with high humidity, though air quality is genuinely at its best during these months, since the rain washes pollution out of the air.
Good to know
✈️
India's busiest air hub
Indira Gandhi International (DEL) handles over 70 million passengers a year, with direct connections across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and every major Indian city.
😷
Winter air pollution is severe
Delhi regularly ranks among the most polluted major cities in the world, with AQI readings reaching "severe" levels, especially from late October through December when post-harvest crop burning peaks. An N95 or N99 mask is worth packing for this window.
🌫️
Fog can ground flights in December and January
Dense winter fog, thickened by pollution acting as condensation nuclei, has caused mass flight cancellations and delays at Delhi airport in past years. Build in buffer time if flying through in this window.
🥵
Summer heat is genuinely extreme
May and June regularly see highs above 45°C, with a record of 48.4°C. Outdoor sightseeing is best done at dawn or in the early morning during these months.
🚇
The Metro beats the traffic
Delhi's extensive Metro network is often faster and far less stressful than navigating the city's notoriously congested roads by car or rickshaw.
Top attractions
1
Red Fort
The Mughal emperors' main residence for nearly 200 years, built by Shah Jahan in 1648, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of India's independence movement.
2
Humayun's Tomb
India's first garden mausoleum, built in white marble and red sandstone in the mid-16th century, whose design directly inspired the Taj Mahal.
3
Qutub Minar
The tallest brick minaret in the world at 72.5 meters, begun in 1193, with five intricately carved stories rising above the surrounding ruins.