Thimphu weather in October

In October, Thimphu sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 139 mm of precipitation across 22.8 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 14°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Thimphu's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Thimphu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
6th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
139 mm
22.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:06 AM – 5:26 PM
Cloud cover
57%
5th clearest
Wind
3 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.5
out of 10

Thimphu is capital of Bhutan.

Air quality
Moderate
PM10 42 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
3,655/km²
people per km²
Founded
1955

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 14°C by the end.

A typical October day in Thimphu reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 3°C cooler than September and about 3°C warmer than November.

-5°10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1179
2179
3178
4178
5178
6178
7178
8177
9177
10167
11167
12167
13166
14166
15166
16166
17166
18155
19155
20155
21155
22154
23154
24154
25154
26144
27143
28143
29143
30143
31143

How October really feels in Thimphu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Thimphu weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -3°6617.216.410.50.8
Feb / -2°942116.2111.1
Mar11° / 1522710.511.81.8
Apr15° / 16026.1112.62.8
May17° / 23628.8013.33.3
Jun19° / 12°37829.2013.73.2
Jul19° / 13°48430.2013.63.1
Aug19° / 13°35028.80133.3
Sep18° / 11°25526.2012.23.5
Oct16° / 13922.80.111.33.5
Nov12° / 7218.22.410.62.7
Dec / -2°59179.810.31.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 36% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23565
33961
44159
54456
64654
74852
85149
95347
105545
115743
125941
136040
146238
156238
166337
176337
186436
196535
206535
216535
226634
236535
246535
256634
266535
276535
286634
296634
306634
316634

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Thimphu gets around 139 mm of rain and snow over 22.8 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 73% and peaks near 82% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1820
2810
3800
4790
5780
6770
7760
8750
9740
10740
11730
12720
13720
14720
15720
16720
17720
18720
19720
20720
21720
22720
23721
24711
25711
26701
27691
28681
29672
30652
31642

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in October

Winds average 3 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 3 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of October to 11 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:58 AM to 6:16 AM, and sunset from 5:43 PM to 5:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.75:585:43
211.75:595:42
311.75:595:40
411.76:005:39
511.66:005:38
611.66:015:37
711.66:015:36
811.56:025:35
911.56:025:34
1011.56:035:33
1111.56:045:32
1211.46:045:31
1311.46:055:30
1411.46:055:28
1511.46:065:27
1611.36:065:26
1711.36:075:26
1811.36:085:25
1911.36:085:24
2011.26:095:23
2111.26:105:22
2211.26:105:21
2311.26:115:20
2411.16:115:19
2511.16:125:18
2611.16:135:18
2711.16:135:17
2811.06:145:16
2911.06:155:15
3011.06:165:14
3111.06:165:14

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3 kWh/m² to a high of 5.43 kWh/m² in April across the year — October's 4.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.0Moderate
24.0Moderate
34.0Bright
44.0Bright
54.0Bright
64.0Bright
74.0Bright
84.0Bright
94.0Bright
104.0Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Bright
144.0Bright
154.0Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Bright
204.0Bright
214.0Moderate
224.0Moderate
234.0Moderate
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.9Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Thimphu

In seasonPeak

None of Thimphu's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Thimphu's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Thimphu?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Thimphu.

What to pack for Thimphu in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Thimphu sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 6°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer. About 23 days see rain.

rain geara warm layer

UV index in Thimphu in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Thimphu peaks around July 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 5 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighJul 12UV 15Dec 21UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun15Extreme
Jul15Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Thimphu in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Thimphu 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).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodFeb 2116 µg/m³Sep 164 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb16Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May10Good
Jun6Good
Jul4Good
Aug4Good
Sep4Good
Oct4Good
Nov5Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Thimphu?

Thimphu sits at 27.5°N, 89.6°E, 2,320 m above sea level, in Bhutan. The nearest listed city is Paro, 23 km away.

ParoPunakhaTsirangPhuentsholingTrongsaJakarMongar

Topography around Thimphu

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Thimphu.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Thimphu has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,129 m around an average of 2,631 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,897 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 7,127 m.

The land around Thimphu is covered by trees (55%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (85%) within 16 km, and trees (65%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,129 m
16 km
2,897 m
80 km
7,127 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icemoss and lichen
October weather nearby: Paro 23 km · Punakha 27 km · Tsirang 69 km · Phuentsholing 73 km · Trongsa 85 km · Jakar 110 km · Darjeeling 144 km · Mongar 159 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
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22%other 3%

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 Thimphu (27.4661°, 89.6419°, elevation 2,320 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).