Chennai in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Chennai sees average daytime highs around 33°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 230 mm of rain over about 40 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.
Over the season highs ease from about 34°C in early June to 32°C by late August. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Summer is Chennai's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Chennai's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 33°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 28°C
- Rainfall
- 230 mm
- 40 wet days
- Avg wind
- 14 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.9
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Chennai in Summer
Over the season highs ease from about 34°C in early June to 32°C by late August.
A typical summer day in Chennai reaches about 33°C and drops to 28°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is June, the coolest August.
How summer really feels in Chennai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Chennai weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| 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 Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Chennai gets around 230 mm of rain over 40 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 14 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min in early June to 12 h 18 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 5.1 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Chennai
In summer, Chennai overlaps its cyclone 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 summer a good time to visit Chennai?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chennai.
What to pack for Chennai in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Chennai sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 40 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Chennai in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 29°C across summer — 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 Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 12 (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 Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer 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.