Chennai weather in March
In March, Chennai sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 8 mm of rain across 1.3 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Chennai's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chennai's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 31°
- 7th warmest
- Overnight low
- 25°
- 5th coldest
- Rainfall
- 8 mm
- 1.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- 6:21 AM – 6:16 PM
- Cloud cover
- 29%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.53 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.9
- 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 March
Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end.
A typical March day in Chennai reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C warmer than February and about 2°C cooler than April.
| 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) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | 24 |
| 2 | 30 | 24 |
| 3 | 30 | 24 |
| 4 | 30 | 24 |
| 5 | 30 | 24 |
| 6 | 30 | 24 |
| 7 | 30 | 24 |
| 8 | 30 | 24 |
| 9 | 30 | 25 |
| 10 | 30 | 25 |
| 11 | 31 | 25 |
| 12 | 31 | 25 |
| 13 | 31 | 25 |
| 14 | 31 | 25 |
| 15 | 31 | 25 |
| 16 | 31 | 25 |
| 17 | 31 | 25 |
| 18 | 31 | 25 |
| 19 | 31 | 25 |
| 20 | 31 | 25 |
| 21 | 31 | 25 |
| 22 | 31 | 26 |
| 23 | 31 | 26 |
| 24 | 31 | 26 |
| 25 | 32 | 26 |
| 26 | 32 | 26 |
| 27 | 32 | 26 |
| 28 | 32 | 26 |
| 29 | 32 | 26 |
| 30 | 32 | 26 |
| 31 | 32 | 26 |
How March really feels in Chennai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Chennai weather by month
How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 7th-warmest and 11th-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 March
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in March, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%.
| 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 (%) | 86 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 84 | 84 |
| Cloudier (%) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 86 | 14 |
| 2 | 86 | 14 |
| 3 | 86 | 14 |
| 4 | 85 | 15 |
| 5 | 86 | 14 |
| 6 | 86 | 14 |
| 7 | 86 | 14 |
| 8 | 85 | 15 |
| 9 | 85 | 15 |
| 10 | 85 | 15 |
| 11 | 84 | 16 |
| 12 | 84 | 16 |
| 13 | 84 | 16 |
| 14 | 83 | 17 |
| 15 | 83 | 17 |
| 16 | 83 | 17 |
| 17 | 83 | 17 |
| 18 | 83 | 17 |
| 19 | 84 | 16 |
| 20 | 85 | 15 |
| 21 | 85 | 15 |
| 22 | 85 | 15 |
| 23 | 85 | 15 |
| 24 | 85 | 15 |
| 25 | 85 | 15 |
| 26 | 85 | 15 |
| 27 | 85 | 15 |
| 28 | 85 | 15 |
| 29 | 84 | 16 |
| 30 | 84 | 16 |
| 31 | 84 | 16 |
Chance of precipitation in March
Chennai gets around 8 mm of rain over 1.3 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 5% and peaks near 6% on the wettest days.
| 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 (%) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 4 |
| 7 | 4 |
| 8 | 5 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 10 | 5 |
| 11 | 5 |
| 12 | 5 |
| 13 | 5 |
| 14 | 5 |
| 15 | 5 |
| 16 | 5 |
| 17 | 5 |
| 18 | 5 |
| 19 | 5 |
| 20 | 5 |
| 21 | 4 |
| 22 | 4 |
| 23 | 4 |
| 24 | 4 |
| 25 | 4 |
| 26 | 5 |
| 27 | 5 |
| 28 | 5 |
| 29 | 5 |
| 30 | 6 |
| 31 | 6 |
Humidity in March
Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 61% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% 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 (%) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oppressive (%) | 60 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 71 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 64 | 62 | 59 | 57 | 53 | 50 | 47 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 36 |
| Miserable (%) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 38 | 41 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 63 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 32 | 60 | 7 |
| 2 | 1 | 31 | 61 | 7 |
| 3 | 0 | 30 | 62 | 8 |
| 4 | 0 | 29 | 62 | 9 |
| 5 | 0 | 27 | 63 | 10 |
| 6 | 0 | 26 | 64 | 10 |
| 7 | 0 | 24 | 65 | 11 |
| 8 | 0 | 22 | 66 | 12 |
| 9 | 0 | 20 | 68 | 12 |
| 10 | 0 | 18 | 69 | 13 |
| 11 | 0 | 16 | 70 | 14 |
| 12 | 0 | 15 | 70 | 15 |
| 13 | 0 | 13 | 71 | 16 |
| 14 | 0 | 11 | 72 | 17 |
| 15 | 0 | 10 | 71 | 19 |
| 16 | 0 | 9 | 70 | 21 |
| 17 | 0 | 7 | 71 | 22 |
| 18 | 0 | 6 | 70 | 24 |
| 19 | 0 | 5 | 68 | 27 |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | 67 | 29 |
| 21 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 32 |
| 22 | 0 | 3 | 62 | 35 |
| 23 | 0 | 3 | 59 | 38 |
| 24 | 0 | 2 | 57 | 41 |
| 25 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 45 |
| 26 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 48 |
| 27 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 51 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 55 |
| 29 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 58 |
| 30 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 61 |
| 31 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 63 |
Wind in March
Winds average 12 km/h in March.
Across March, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 14 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) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | 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 | 11 | calm |
| 2 | 11 | calm |
| 3 | 11 | calm |
| 4 | 11 | calm |
| 5 | 11 | calm |
| 6 | 11 | calm |
| 7 | 11 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 11 | calm |
| 10 | 11 | calm |
| 11 | 11 | calm |
| 12 | 11 | calm |
| 13 | 12 | calm |
| 14 | 12 | calm |
| 15 | 12 | calm |
| 16 | 12 | calm |
| 17 | 12 | calm |
| 18 | 12 | light breeze |
| 19 | 12 | light breeze |
| 20 | 12 | light breeze |
| 21 | 13 | light breeze |
| 22 | 13 | light breeze |
| 23 | 13 | light breeze |
| 24 | 13 | light breeze |
| 25 | 13 | light breeze |
| 26 | 13 | light breeze |
| 27 | 13 | light breeze |
| 28 | 13 | light breeze |
| 29 | 13 | light breeze |
| 30 | 14 | light breeze |
| 31 | 14 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in March
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:30 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 6:14 PM to 6:17 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) | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:27 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:22 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:20 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:16 | 6:15 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:13 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:11 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:17 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.7 | 6:30 | 6:14 |
| 2 | 11.7 | 6:30 | 6:14 |
| 3 | 11.8 | 6:29 | 6:14 |
| 4 | 11.8 | 6:29 | 6:14 |
| 5 | 11.8 | 6:28 | 6:15 |
| 6 | 11.8 | 6:28 | 6:15 |
| 7 | 11.8 | 6:27 | 6:15 |
| 8 | 11.8 | 6:26 | 6:15 |
| 9 | 11.8 | 6:26 | 6:15 |
| 10 | 11.8 | 6:25 | 6:15 |
| 11 | 11.8 | 6:24 | 6:15 |
| 12 | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:15 |
| 13 | 11.9 | 6:23 | 6:16 |
| 14 | 11.9 | 6:23 | 6:16 |
| 15 | 11.9 | 6:22 | 6:16 |
| 16 | 11.9 | 6:21 | 6:16 |
| 17 | 11.9 | 6:21 | 6:16 |
| 18 | 11.9 | 6:20 | 6:16 |
| 19 | 11.9 | 6:19 | 6:16 |
| 20 | 12.0 | 6:19 | 6:16 |
| 21 | 12.0 | 6:18 | 6:16 |
| 22 | 12.0 | 6:17 | 6:16 |
| 23 | 12.0 | 6:17 | 6:16 |
| 24 | 12.0 | 6:16 | 6:16 |
| 25 | 12.0 | 6:15 | 6:16 |
| 26 | 12.0 | 6:14 | 6:16 |
| 27 | 12.0 | 6:14 | 6:17 |
| 28 | 12.1 | 6:13 | 6:17 |
| 29 | 12.1 | 6:12 | 6:17 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 6:12 | 6:17 |
| 31 | 12.1 | 6:11 | 6:17 |
Solar energy in March
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.53 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 — March's 6.53 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 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) | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.7 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Chennai
None of Chennai's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
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 March a good time to visit Chennai?
Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
March 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 March
From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In March, Chennai sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Chennai in March
The nearest coast averages about 28°C in March — 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 March
Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks 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 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 March
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March 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).