Chennai weather in December
In December, Chennai sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 117 mm of rain across 9.1 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of December to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Chennai's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chennai's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 27°
- 12th warmest
- Overnight low
- 24°
- 3rd coldest
- Rainfall
- 117 mm
- 9.1 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 12 min
- 6:28 AM – 5:42 PM
- Cloud cover
- 57%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 15 km/h
- 3rd windiest
- Solar energy
- 4.19 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.6
- out of 10
Chennai is city and state capital of Tamil Nadu, India.
- Air quality
- Very high
- PM2.5 36 µg/m³ · 2019
- Founded
- 1639
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.
A typical December day in Chennai reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 24 |
| 2 | 28 | 24 |
| 3 | 28 | 24 |
| 4 | 28 | 24 |
| 5 | 28 | 24 |
| 6 | 28 | 24 |
| 7 | 28 | 24 |
| 8 | 28 | 24 |
| 9 | 28 | 24 |
| 10 | 28 | 24 |
| 11 | 28 | 24 |
| 12 | 27 | 24 |
| 13 | 27 | 24 |
| 14 | 27 | 24 |
| 15 | 27 | 24 |
| 16 | 27 | 24 |
| 17 | 27 | 24 |
| 18 | 27 | 24 |
| 19 | 27 | 24 |
| 20 | 27 | 23 |
| 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 22 | 27 | 23 |
| 23 | 27 | 23 |
| 24 | 27 | 23 |
| 25 | 27 | 23 |
| 26 | 27 | 23 |
| 27 | 27 | 23 |
| 28 | 27 | 23 |
| 29 | 27 | 23 |
| 30 | 27 | 23 |
| 31 | 27 | 23 |
How December really feels in Chennai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December 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.
December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Chennai weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 23° | 14 | 3.1 | 11.3 | 7.7 |
| Feb | 29° / 23° | 6 | 1.5 | 11.6 | 7.0 |
| Mar | 31° / 25° | 8 | 1.3 | 11.9 | 5.9 |
| Apr | 33° / 27° | 15 | 2.4 | 12.3 | 4.6 |
| May | 34° / 29° | 38 | 4 | 12.6 | 3.4 |
| Jun | 34° / 28° | 67 | 11 | 12.8 | 2.7 |
| Jul | 33° / 28° | 70 | 14.2 | 12.7 | 2.8 |
| Aug | 33° / 27° | 93 | 14.9 | 12.4 | 3.1 |
| Sep | 32° / 27° | 103 | 16.4 | 12.1 | 3.3 |
| Oct | 30° / 26° | 208 | 19.1 | 11.7 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 28° / 25° | 228 | 16.5 | 11.4 | 4.9 |
| Dec | 27° / 24° | 117 | 9.1 | 11.2 | 6.6 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 48 | 49 | 49 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 66 | 66 |
| Cloudier (%) | 52 | 51 | 51 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 34 | 34 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 | 52 |
| 2 | 49 | 51 |
| 3 | 49 | 51 |
| 4 | 51 | 49 |
| 5 | 51 | 49 |
| 6 | 52 | 48 |
| 7 | 52 | 48 |
| 8 | 52 | 48 |
| 9 | 52 | 48 |
| 10 | 52 | 48 |
| 11 | 52 | 48 |
| 12 | 53 | 47 |
| 13 | 53 | 47 |
| 14 | 53 | 47 |
| 15 | 54 | 46 |
| 16 | 53 | 47 |
| 17 | 54 | 46 |
| 18 | 54 | 46 |
| 19 | 55 | 45 |
| 20 | 55 | 45 |
| 21 | 55 | 45 |
| 22 | 56 | 44 |
| 23 | 58 | 42 |
| 24 | 59 | 41 |
| 25 | 60 | 40 |
| 26 | 62 | 38 |
| 27 | 63 | 37 |
| 28 | 64 | 36 |
| 29 | 64 | 36 |
| 30 | 66 | 34 |
| 31 | 66 | 34 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Chennai gets around 117 mm of rain over 9.1 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 42 |
| 2 | 41 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | 39 |
| 5 | 38 |
| 6 | 38 |
| 7 | 37 |
| 8 | 37 |
| 9 | 36 |
| 10 | 35 |
| 11 | 34 |
| 12 | 33 |
| 13 | 33 |
| 14 | 32 |
| 15 | 31 |
| 16 | 30 |
| 17 | 29 |
| 18 | 27 |
| 19 | 26 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 21 | 24 |
| 22 | 23 |
| 23 | 22 |
| 24 | 22 |
| 25 | 21 |
| 26 | 20 |
| 27 | 20 |
| 28 | 19 |
| 29 | 19 |
| 30 | 18 |
| 31 | 18 |
Humidity in December
Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 46% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 92% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
| Muggy (%) | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 45 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 55 |
| Oppressive (%) | 56 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 |
| Miserable (%) | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 30 | 56 | 11 |
| 2 | 4 | 31 | 55 | 10 |
| 3 | 5 | 31 | 55 | 9 |
| 4 | 5 | 31 | 56 | 8 |
| 5 | 6 | 31 | 55 | 8 |
| 6 | 6 | 32 | 55 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | 32 | 54 | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | 33 | 54 | 6 |
| 9 | 7 | 33 | 54 | 6 |
| 10 | 7 | 34 | 54 | 5 |
| 11 | 8 | 35 | 52 | 5 |
| 12 | 8 | 36 | 52 | 4 |
| 13 | 8 | 37 | 51 | 4 |
| 14 | 8 | 38 | 51 | 3 |
| 15 | 8 | 39 | 50 | 3 |
| 16 | 8 | 40 | 49 | 2 |
| 17 | 8 | 42 | 47 | 2 |
| 18 | 8 | 44 | 46 | 2 |
| 19 | 9 | 45 | 44 | 1 |
| 20 | 9 | 47 | 43 | 1 |
| 21 | 9 | 48 | 41 | 1 |
| 22 | 9 | 50 | 40 | 1 |
| 23 | 10 | 50 | 39 | 1 |
| 24 | 10 | 51 | 38 | 1 |
| 25 | 11 | 51 | 37 | 1 |
| 26 | 11 | 52 | 36 | 1 |
| 27 | 11 | 53 | 35 | 1 |
| 28 | 12 | 53 | 34 | 1 |
| 29 | 12 | 54 | 33 | 1 |
| 30 | 12 | 54 | 32 | 2 |
| 31 | 11 | 55 | 32 | 2 |
Wind in December
Winds average 15 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | light breeze |
| 2 | 15 | light breeze |
| 3 | 15 | light breeze |
| 4 | 15 | light breeze |
| 5 | 15 | light breeze |
| 6 | 15 | light breeze |
| 7 | 15 | light breeze |
| 8 | 15 | light breeze |
| 9 | 15 | light breeze |
| 10 | 15 | light breeze |
| 11 | 15 | light breeze |
| 12 | 15 | light breeze |
| 13 | 15 | light breeze |
| 14 | 15 | light breeze |
| 15 | 15 | light breeze |
| 16 | 15 | light breeze |
| 17 | 15 | light breeze |
| 18 | 15 | light breeze |
| 19 | 15 | light breeze |
| 20 | 15 | light breeze |
| 21 | 14 | light breeze |
| 22 | 14 | light breeze |
| 23 | 14 | light breeze |
| 24 | 14 | light breeze |
| 25 | 14 | light breeze |
| 26 | 14 | light breeze |
| 27 | 14 | light breeze |
| 28 | 14 | light breeze |
| 29 | 14 | light breeze |
| 30 | 14 | light breeze |
| 31 | 13 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of December to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:20 AM to 6:35 AM, and sunset from 5:37 PM to 5:49 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:35 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:41 | 5:41 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:44 | 5:44 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:47 | 5:47 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:49 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.3 | 6:20 | 5:37 |
| 2 | 11.3 | 6:21 | 5:37 |
| 3 | 11.3 | 6:21 | 5:38 |
| 4 | 11.3 | 6:22 | 5:38 |
| 5 | 11.3 | 6:22 | 5:38 |
| 6 | 11.3 | 6:23 | 5:38 |
| 7 | 11.3 | 6:23 | 5:39 |
| 8 | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:39 |
| 9 | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:39 |
| 10 | 11.2 | 6:25 | 5:40 |
| 11 | 11.2 | 6:25 | 5:40 |
| 12 | 11.2 | 6:26 | 5:40 |
| 13 | 11.2 | 6:27 | 5:41 |
| 14 | 11.2 | 6:27 | 5:41 |
| 15 | 11.2 | 6:28 | 5:42 |
| 16 | 11.2 | 6:28 | 5:42 |
| 17 | 11.2 | 6:29 | 5:42 |
| 18 | 11.2 | 6:29 | 5:43 |
| 19 | 11.2 | 6:30 | 5:43 |
| 20 | 11.2 | 6:30 | 5:44 |
| 21 | 11.2 | 6:31 | 5:44 |
| 22 | 11.2 | 6:31 | 5:45 |
| 23 | 11.2 | 6:31 | 5:45 |
| 24 | 11.2 | 6:32 | 5:46 |
| 25 | 11.2 | 6:32 | 5:46 |
| 26 | 11.2 | 6:33 | 5:47 |
| 27 | 11.2 | 6:33 | 5:47 |
| 28 | 11.2 | 6:34 | 5:48 |
| 29 | 11.2 | 6:34 | 5:48 |
| 30 | 11.2 | 6:34 | 5:49 |
| 31 | 11.2 | 6:35 | 5:49 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.19 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.12 kWh/m² to a high of 6.63 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.19 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 8 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 9 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 10 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 11 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 12 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 13 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 14 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 15 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 16 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 31 | 4.5 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Chennai
In December, Chennai sits inside its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Chennai sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Chennai's monsoon runs September–December, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is December a good time to visit Chennai?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a reasonable time to visit Chennai for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Chennai in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Chennai sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Chennai in December
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in May at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 28 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Chennai in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chennai peaks around July 24 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 7 (high).
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) | 7 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 13 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Chennai in December
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Chennai is worst in January — around 51 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.0× the cleanest month (April, 25 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Chennai's WHO annual average of 36 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 51 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 41 | 41 | 45 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | Poor |
| Feb | 45 | Poor |
| Mar | 35 | Poor |
| Apr | 25 | Moderate |
| May | 30 | Moderate |
| Jun | 29 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 29 | Moderate |
| Sep | 33 | Moderate |
| Oct | 41 | Poor |
| Nov | 41 | Poor |
| Dec | 45 | Poor |
Where is Chennai?
Chennai sits at 13.1°N, 80.3°E, 14 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Manali, 9.0 km away.
Topography around Chennai
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Chennai.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Chennai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 20 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 83 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 881 m.
The land around Chennai is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) within 3 km, water (47%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 16 km, and water (40%) and cropland (29%) within 80 km.
India travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / D / M
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 23% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $2,702
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 76%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 2.8
- per 100k, 2022
- Road deaths
- 15.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 484
- 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 Chennai (13.0878°, 80.2785°, elevation 14 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).