Punakha in Spring
In spring (March, April and May), Punakha sees average daytime highs around 16°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 716 mm of precipitation over about 82 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 2nd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 11°C in early March to 19°C by late May. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels dry.
Spring is Punakha's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Punakha's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 16°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 7°C
- Precipitation
- 716 mm
- 82 wet days
- Avg wind
- 3 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.9
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Mar · Apr · May
Temperature in Punakha in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 11°C in early March to 19°C by late May.
A typical spring day in Punakha reaches about 16°C and drops to 7°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is May, the coolest March.
How spring really feels in Punakha
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
spring sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Punakha weather by month
How the three spring months (March, April and May) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8° / -1° | 162 | 20.9 | 14.1 | 10.5 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 10° / 1° | 192 | 22.7 | 11.3 | 11 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 13° / 3° | 242 | 27.1 | 4.9 | 11.8 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 16° / 7° | 208 | 26.6 | 0.2 | 12.6 | 3.1 |
| May | 19° / 10° | 265 | 28.5 | 0 | 13.3 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 20° / 13° | 501 | 29.5 | 0 | 13.7 | 3.2 |
| Jul | 20° / 14° | 735 | 30.9 | 0 | 13.6 | 3.1 |
| Aug | 20° / 14° | 571 | 30.4 | 0 | 13 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 19° / 12° | 385 | 27.9 | 0 | 12.2 | 3.4 |
| Oct | 17° / 8° | 185 | 21.7 | 0 | 11.3 | 4.0 |
| Nov | 14° / 4° | 111 | 17.4 | 0.4 | 10.6 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 10° / 1° | 116 | 18.8 | 5.8 | 10.3 | 2.0 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Punakha gets around 716 mm of rain and snow over 82 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 3 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min in early March to 13 h 36 min by late May. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 4.7 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Punakha
None of Punakha's seasonal hazards peak in spring. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Punakha's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is spring a good time to visit Punakha?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Punakha.
What to pack for Punakha in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Punakha sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 7°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 82 days see rain.
UV index in Punakha in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Punakha peaks around July 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 5 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 5 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
| Level | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Moderate |
| Feb | 7 | High |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 14 | Extreme |
| Jul | 15 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 5 | Moderate |
Air quality in Punakha in Spring
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where spring falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Punakha is worst in February — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.4× the cleanest month (September, 4 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 15 | Moderate |
| Apr | 15 | Moderate |
| May | 10 | Good |
| Jun | 6 | Good |
| Jul | 4 | Good |
| Aug | 4 | Good |
| Sep | 4 | Good |
| Oct | 4 | Good |
| Nov | 5 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Punakha?
Punakha sits at 27.6°N, 89.9°E, 1,293 m above sea level, in Bhutan. The nearest listed city is Thimphu, 27 km away.
Topography around Punakha
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Punakha.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Punakha has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,103 m around an average of 1,495 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,669 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,227 m.
The land around Punakha is covered by trees (62%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, trees (88%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) within 80 km.
Bhutan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / D / F / G / M
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 23% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $4,493
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2018
- Safe drinking water
- 66%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 2.5
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 16.2
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 473
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Punakha (27.5914°, 89.8774°, elevation 1,293 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.