Climate

India is peninsular land in the Asian sub-continent that means it has three water bodies in the Southern region and the Himalayas stand tall in the north. It greatly affects the weather conditions in India.

Being a land of geographic diversities, India also has diversified weather conditions across the land. One can experience extremely hot areas at some places while others places are extremely cold. The living of the people, their adaptation and lifestyles are vastly affected by weather conditions.

Summer, Winter and Monsoon are three major seasons in India.

The summer season is from April to June and it is very hot in most parts of the country.
Places of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat experience hot and dry summers with hot air and hot winds blowing ferociously during the summers. States like Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have hot and humid weather during summers. You feel extremely hot, humid and sticky during this season at these places. It is one of the most difficult seasons in India to bear due to high temperatures and arid weather.

Tourists can visit principal Hill Stations of India during Summer season. The popular Hill Stations are Leh-Ladakh, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir Valley (North India), Darjeeling & Shillong (North East), Ooty, Yearcaud and Kodaikanal (South India), Panchmari, Mount Abu & Khandala (central & western India) provide cool respite.

Monsoon arrives in India by June and ends in September. The southwestern winds traveling from the sea to the land hit the mainland starting with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. These states also receive rains during November and December by north East Monsoon winds. India is mainly an agricultural country and relies on its rainfall for the crop and harvesting. The Eastern states of the country like West Bengal, Assam and Orissa experience extremely heavy rainfall and conditions of flood most of the time during the year. On the other hand, the Deccan plateau receives very light rainfall and the Thar Desert only has scanty rainfall.

The winter season is from November to February and is pleasant throughout the country. However, the regions of North India remain moderate to extremely cold during winters. One can see the snowfall and extreme winter in the northern region of India like Himachal Pradesh & Jammu and Kashmir. Temperature falls down to even zero degrees at times in these areas. In the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab, there are chilly winters but coastal states usually have pleasant weather.

November to February extending up to March is the best time to visit India. Most of the winter season falls in the period and most of the places are cool and pleasant which makes the overall traveling experience a comfortable and pleasant one. Winter is at its peak during January and February so traveling to North India and the hill stations can be little difficult as they are extremely chilly and cold. If you are planning to visit North India during this time, you will need light woolen jackets or warm clothing. However, travel to the rest of the country is quite comfortable and bearable. It does not pose any severe health risk problems as well.