Climate and average weather in Delhi
In Delhi, the summers are sweltering, fairly dry, and clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Delhi typically varies from 9°C to 40°C, and is rarely below 5°C or above 44°C. May is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Delhi for warm-weather activities are from early January to mid March and early November to late December.
- Hottest
- May
- 40°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 9°
- Wettest
- Jul
- 192 mm
- Driest
- Nov
- 5 mm
- Rain / yr
- 680 mm
- 82 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.2–13.8 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 227 m
- 28.7°N
- Clearest
- Oct
- 12% cloud
Delhi is megacity and union territory of India.
- Air quality
- Severe
- PM2.5 105 µg/m³ · 2019
- Density
- 7,436/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- ~500 BCE
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Delhi weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to mid March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Delhi, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.1 months, from April 8 to July 11, with daily high temperatures above 35°C. The hottest month of the year in Delhi is May, with an average high of 40°C and low of 26°C.
The cool season lasts 2.2 months, from December 10 to February 14, with daily high temperatures below 24°C. The coldest month of the year in Delhi is January, with an average low of 9°C and high of 20°C.
Days typically run about 11°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 14°C) in April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 20 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 9 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 10 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 9 |
| Feb | 24 | 12 |
| Mar | 30 | 16 |
| Apr | 36 | 22 |
| May | 40 | 26 |
| Jun | 38 | 28 |
| Jul | 34 | 28 |
| Aug | 33 | 27 |
| Sep | 33 | 25 |
| Oct | 32 | 20 |
| Nov | 28 | 14 |
| Dec | 22 | 10 |
How hot and cold Delhi really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Delhi feels like about 45°C (around June 29). About 207 days a year carry some heat stress, and 138 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 20 | 24 | 29 | 36 | 40 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 39 | 33 | 28 | 22 |
| Air high (°C) | 20 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 22 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 7 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 9 |
| Air low (°C) | 9 | 12 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 14 | 10 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 20 | 7 | 9 |
| Feb | 24 | 24 | 12 | 12 |
| Mar | 29 | 30 | 16 | 16 |
| Apr | 36 | 36 | 22 | 22 |
| May | 40 | 40 | 26 | 26 |
| Jun | 43 | 38 | 28 | 28 |
| Jul | 43 | 34 | 28 | 28 |
| Aug | 42 | 33 | 27 | 27 |
| Sep | 39 | 33 | 25 | 25 |
| Oct | 33 | 32 | 20 | 20 |
| Nov | 28 | 28 | 14 | 14 |
| Dec | 22 | 22 | 9 | 10 |
Average hourly temperature in Delhi
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on May afternoons, near 40°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 9°C.
Delhi weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20° / 9° | 27 | 2.7 | 10.4 | 7.9 |
| Feb | 24° / 12° | 35 | 3.8 | 11 | 8.3 |
| Mar | 30° / 16° | 24 | 3.6 | 11.8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 36° / 22° | 15 | 3.2 | 12.7 | 2.4 |
| May | 40° / 26° | 19 | 5.3 | 13.4 | 0.3 |
| Jun | 38° / 28° | 69 | 9.8 | 13.8 | 0.9 |
| Jul | 34° / 28° | 192 | 19.7 | 13.6 | 2.1 |
| Aug | 33° / 27° | 176 | 19.7 | 13 | 2.7 |
| Sep | 33° / 25° | 99 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 3.6 |
| Oct | 32° / 20° | 14 | 2.1 | 11.3 | 5.1 |
| Nov | 28° / 14° | 5 | 1.1 | 10.6 | 8.2 |
| Dec | 22° / 10° | 7 | 1.2 | 10.2 | 8.8 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Delhi gets about 680 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.7 months, from around Jun 3 to Sep 23, peaking in July at about 70% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Nov 2.
July is the wettest month by volume, with 192 mm over about 20 wet days; November is the driest, with 5 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 9 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 32 | 63 | 63 | 34 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Rain days | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 3 |
| Feb | 13 | 4 |
| Mar | 12 | 4 |
| Apr | 11 | 3 |
| May | 17 | 5 |
| Jun | 32 | 10 |
| Jul | 63 | 20 |
| Aug | 63 | 20 |
| Sep | 34 | 10 |
| Oct | 7 | 2 |
| Nov | 4 | 1 |
| Dec | 4 | 1 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Delhi collects about 680 mm of rain across 82 wet days — roughly 57 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. July is the wettest month with 192 mm, while November is the driest at just 5 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 69% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 27 | 35 | 24 | 15 | 19 | 69 | 192 | 176 | 99 | 14 | 5 | 7 |
| Rain days | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 35 | 4 |
| Mar | 24 | 4 |
| Apr | 15 | 3 |
| May | 19 | 5 |
| Jun | 69 | 10 |
| Jul | 192 | 20 |
| Aug | 176 | 20 |
| Sep | 99 | 10 |
| Oct | 14 | 2 |
| Nov | 5 | 1 |
| Dec | 7 | 1 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Delhi, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around September 16 and lasts for 4.0 months, ending around January 15. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 95% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around June 21 and lasts for 2.9 months, ending around September 15. The cloudiest month is August, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 63% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 79 | 79 | 81 | 86 | 94 | 81 | 39 | 37 | 76 | 95 | 93 | 86 |
| Cloudier (%) | 21 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 19 | 61 | 63 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 | 21 |
| Feb | 79 | 21 |
| Mar | 81 | 19 |
| Apr | 86 | 14 |
| May | 94 | 6 |
| Jun | 81 | 19 |
| Jul | 39 | 61 |
| Aug | 37 | 63 |
| Sep | 76 | 24 |
| Oct | 95 | 5 |
| Nov | 93 | 7 |
| Dec | 86 | 14 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 7, brings about 13 h 48 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 10 h 12 min — a swing of roughly 3 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.4 | 11.0 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 13.4 | 13.8 | 13.6 | 13.0 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:20 | 7:06 | 6:37 | 6:01 | 5:35 | 5:27 | 5:37 | 5:54 | 6:10 | 6:27 | 6:50 | 7:12 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:41 | 6:05 | 6:24 | 6:42 | 7:00 | 7:16 | 7:17 | 6:56 | 6:20 | 5:45 | 5:23 | 5:23 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.4 | 7:20 | 5:41 |
| Feb | 11.0 | 7:06 | 6:05 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:37 | 6:24 |
| Apr | 12.7 | 6:01 | 6:42 |
| May | 13.4 | 5:35 | 7:00 |
| Jun | 13.8 | 5:27 | 7:16 |
| Jul | 13.6 | 5:37 | 7:17 |
| Aug | 13.0 | 5:54 | 6:56 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 6:10 | 6:20 |
| Oct | 11.3 | 6:27 | 5:45 |
| Nov | 10.6 | 6:50 | 5:23 |
| Dec | 10.2 | 7:12 | 5:23 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Delhi averages about 20 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 4 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.7 months, from around Sep 17 to Jan 8. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 28 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is July, down near 7 sunny days — about 74% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 26 | 24 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Bright | Gloomy | Gloomy | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Bright |
| Feb | 19 | Bright |
| Mar | 21 | Bright |
| Apr | 22 | Bright |
| May | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 21 | Bright |
| Jul | 7 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 7 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 19 | Bright |
| Oct | 28 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 26 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 24 | Brilliant |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Delhi, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 5.7 months, from around May 9 to October 27. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 28 to May 8, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 94 | 77 | 48 | 47 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 55 | 92 |
| Comfortable (%) | 6 | 20 | 35 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 29 | 8 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 3 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 15 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 86 | 89 | 53 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 77 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 48 | 35 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 47 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 1 |
| Jun | 3 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 32 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 86 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 89 |
| Sep | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 33 | 53 |
| Oct | 12 | 17 | 29 | 24 | 14 | 4 |
| Nov | 55 | 29 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 92 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Delhi is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Jan 18 to Aug 4. The windiest month is June, averaging about 10 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 5 to Jan 17, with October the calmest month at about 7 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | calm |
| Feb | 10 | calm |
| Mar | 10 | calm |
| Apr | 10 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 10 | calm |
| Jul | 9 | calm |
| Aug | 9 | calm |
| Sep | 8 | calm |
| Oct | 7 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Delhi
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Delhi's monsoon runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Delhi sees seasonal dust haze (May–August), heaviest in June.
Best time to visit Delhi
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Delhi throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid January, Delhi is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Delhi for general outdoor tourist activities is from early November to mid March, with a peak score in the first week of December.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 7.9 | 8.3 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 8.8 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | good | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair | ideal | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.9 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.3 | ideal |
| Mar | 6.4 | good |
| Apr | 2.4 | poor |
| May | 0.4 | poor |
| Jun | 0.9 | poor |
| Jul | 2.1 | poor |
| Aug | 2.7 | poor |
| Sep | 3.6 | fair |
| Oct | 5.2 | fair |
| Nov | 8.2 | ideal |
| Dec | 8.8 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Delhi for hot-weather activities run from late February to early April and again from late September to early December, with a peak score in the first week of November.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Delhi, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around May (highs near 40°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 20°C), pack a light layer.
In May, Delhi sees daytime highs around 40°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Delhi by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Delhi peaks around August 15 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 4 (moderate).
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) | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | Moderate |
| Mar | 8 | Very high |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 7 | Very high |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Delhi
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in August the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 7.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 3 | 4.5 | 7 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 3 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | 0 |
| Feb | 4.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 7 | 4 |
| Apr | 7 | 4.5 |
| May | 7.5 | 5 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 4 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 5.5 | 1 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 3 | 0 |
Air quality in Delhi by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Delhi is worst in November — around 168 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 3.2× the cleanest month (July, 53 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Delhi's WHO annual average of 105 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 159 | 137 | 105 | 79 | 68 | 63 | 53 | 55 | 75 | 132 | 168 | 167 |
| Level | Very unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 159 | Very unhealthy |
| Feb | 137 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 105 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 79 | Unhealthy |
| May | 68 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 63 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 53 | Poor |
| Aug | 55 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 75 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 132 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 168 | Very unhealthy |
| Dec | 167 | Very unhealthy |
Growing season
Delhi is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Delhi banks about 5,583 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 133 | 215 | 400 | 572 | 708 | 695 | 651 | 619 | 574 | 501 | 328 | 187 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 133 |
| Feb | 215 |
| Mar | 400 |
| Apr | 572 |
| May | 708 |
| Jun | 695 |
| Jul | 651 |
| Aug | 619 |
| Sep | 574 |
| Oct | 501 |
| Nov | 328 |
| Dec | 187 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Delhi receives about 5.2 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.7 and 7.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.3 months, from around Feb 27 to Jul 7. The brightest month is May, averaging about 7.3 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.8 kWh/m² — roughly 48% less than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 6.5 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Level | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4.8 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.9 | Bright |
| Apr | 7.0 | Intense |
| May | 7.3 | Intense |
| Jun | 6.5 | Intense |
| Jul | 4.9 | Bright |
| Aug | 4.5 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.0 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.1 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.3 | Bright |
| Dec | 3.8 | Moderate |
Where is Delhi?
Delhi sits at 28.7°N, 77.2°E, 227 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Fatehpur Sikri, 178 km away.
What Delhi looks like
Topography around Delhi
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Delhi.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Delhi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 48 m around an average of 218 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 91 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 229 m.
The land around Delhi is covered by artificial surfaces (62%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (62%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and cropland (78%) 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 Delhi (28.6519°, 77.2315°, elevation 227 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).