Chennai in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Chennai sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 138 mm of rain over about 14 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.
Winter is Chennai's best 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
- 28°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 23°C
- Rainfall
- 138 mm
- 14 wet days
- Avg wind
- 12 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.1
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Chennai in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Chennai reaches about 28°C and drops to 23°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Chennai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 7 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Chennai weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) 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 Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Chennai gets around 138 mm of rain over 14 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 12 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min in early December to 11 h 42 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 5.0 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Chennai
In winter, Chennai overlaps 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 winter a good time to visit Chennai?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is one of the better times to visit Chennai for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Chennai in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Chennai sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Chennai in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°C across winter — 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 Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 8 (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 Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter 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.