Delhi weather in May
In May, Delhi sees average daytime highs of 40°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 19 mm of rain across 5.3 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 40°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time in May, and the air most often feels comfortable.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Delhi's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Delhi's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 40°
- 1st warmest
- Overnight low
- 26°
- 9th coldest
- Rainfall
- 19 mm
- 5.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 24 min
- 5:35 AM – 7:00 PM
- Cloud cover
- 23%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.31 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 0.3
- out of 10
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.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 40°C through the month.
A typical May day in Delhi reaches about 40°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 36°C and 43°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 1°C warmer than June.
| 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) | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Avg low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39 | 25 |
| 2 | 39 | 25 |
| 3 | 39 | 25 |
| 4 | 39 | 25 |
| 5 | 39 | 25 |
| 6 | 39 | 25 |
| 7 | 39 | 25 |
| 8 | 39 | 26 |
| 9 | 39 | 26 |
| 10 | 39 | 26 |
| 11 | 39 | 26 |
| 12 | 39 | 26 |
| 13 | 39 | 26 |
| 14 | 40 | 26 |
| 15 | 40 | 26 |
| 16 | 40 | 26 |
| 17 | 40 | 26 |
| 18 | 40 | 27 |
| 19 | 40 | 27 |
| 20 | 40 | 27 |
| 21 | 40 | 27 |
| 22 | 40 | 27 |
| 23 | 40 | 27 |
| 24 | 40 | 27 |
| 25 | 40 | 27 |
| 26 | 40 | 27 |
| 27 | 40 | 27 |
| 28 | 40 | 27 |
| 29 | 40 | 27 |
| 30 | 40 | 27 |
| 31 | 40 | 28 |
How May really feels in Delhi
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May 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 May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Delhi weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| 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 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 84% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 5%. 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 (%) | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 94 |
| Cloudier (%) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | 8 |
| 2 | 92 | 8 |
| 3 | 92 | 8 |
| 4 | 92 | 8 |
| 5 | 93 | 7 |
| 6 | 93 | 7 |
| 7 | 93 | 7 |
| 8 | 93 | 7 |
| 9 | 94 | 6 |
| 10 | 95 | 5 |
| 11 | 95 | 5 |
| 12 | 95 | 5 |
| 13 | 95 | 5 |
| 14 | 95 | 5 |
| 15 | 95 | 5 |
| 16 | 95 | 5 |
| 17 | 95 | 5 |
| 18 | 96 | 4 |
| 19 | 96 | 4 |
| 20 | 96 | 4 |
| 21 | 96 | 4 |
| 22 | 96 | 4 |
| 23 | 96 | 4 |
| 24 | 96 | 4 |
| 25 | 96 | 4 |
| 26 | 96 | 4 |
| 27 | 96 | 4 |
| 28 | 95 | 5 |
| 29 | 95 | 5 |
| 30 | 95 | 5 |
| 31 | 94 | 6 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Delhi gets around 19 mm of rain over 5.3 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 17% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days. The odds climb 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 (%) | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 14 |
| 2 | 14 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 15 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 15 |
| 7 | 15 |
| 8 | 15 |
| 9 | 15 |
| 10 | 15 |
| 11 | 15 |
| 12 | 15 |
| 13 | 16 |
| 14 | 16 |
| 15 | 16 |
| 16 | 16 |
| 17 | 17 |
| 18 | 17 |
| 19 | 18 |
| 20 | 18 |
| 21 | 19 |
| 22 | 19 |
| 23 | 19 |
| 24 | 20 |
| 25 | 20 |
| 26 | 20 |
| 27 | 21 |
| 28 | 21 |
| 29 | 21 |
| 30 | 22 |
| 31 | 22 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the comfortable band about 23% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 33% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 38 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| Comfortable (%) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
| Humid (%) | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Muggy (%) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Oppressive (%) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | 28 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | 36 | 28 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | 34 | 28 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 33 | 27 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | 31 | 26 | 23 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | 30 | 26 | 23 | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | 29 | 25 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 5 | 0 |
| 11 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | 24 | 22 | 26 | 22 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 7 | 0 |
| 14 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 8 | 0 |
| 15 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 8 | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 9 | 0 |
| 17 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 0 |
| 18 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 10 | 0 |
| 19 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 10 | 1 |
| 20 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 11 | 1 |
| 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 12 | 1 |
| 22 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 12 | 1 |
| 23 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 13 | 1 |
| 24 | 16 | 22 | 20 | 26 | 14 | 1 |
| 25 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 15 | 1 |
| 26 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 26 | 17 | 1 |
| 27 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 26 | 18 | 2 |
| 28 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 26 | 19 | 2 |
| 29 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 26 | 20 | 2 |
| 30 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 26 | 21 | 3 |
| 31 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 26 | 22 | 3 |
Wind in May
Winds average 10 km/h in May, the windiest month of the year.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 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) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | calm |
| 2 | 10 | calm |
| 3 | 10 | calm |
| 4 | 10 | calm |
| 5 | 10 | calm |
| 6 | 10 | calm |
| 7 | 10 | calm |
| 8 | 10 | calm |
| 9 | 10 | calm |
| 10 | 10 | calm |
| 11 | 10 | calm |
| 12 | 10 | calm |
| 13 | 10 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 11 | calm |
| 23 | 11 | calm |
| 24 | 11 | calm |
| 25 | 11 | calm |
| 26 | 11 | calm |
| 27 | 11 | calm |
| 28 | 11 | calm |
| 29 | 11 | calm |
| 30 | 11 | calm |
| 31 | 11 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 h 06 min at the start of May to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 36 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:46 AM to 5:28 AM, and sunset from 6:51 PM to 7:09 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) | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:46 | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:42 | 5:42 | 5:41 | 5:40 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:38 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:36 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:34 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:29 | 5:29 | 5:29 | 5:28 | 5:28 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.1 | 5:46 | 6:51 |
| 2 | 13.1 | 5:45 | 6:51 |
| 3 | 13.1 | 5:44 | 6:52 |
| 4 | 13.2 | 5:43 | 6:53 |
| 5 | 13.2 | 5:42 | 6:53 |
| 6 | 13.2 | 5:42 | 6:54 |
| 7 | 13.2 | 5:41 | 6:54 |
| 8 | 13.3 | 5:40 | 6:55 |
| 9 | 13.3 | 5:39 | 6:56 |
| 10 | 13.3 | 5:39 | 6:56 |
| 11 | 13.3 | 5:38 | 6:57 |
| 12 | 13.3 | 5:37 | 6:58 |
| 13 | 13.4 | 5:37 | 6:58 |
| 14 | 13.4 | 5:36 | 6:59 |
| 15 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 6:59 |
| 16 | 13.4 | 5:35 | 7:00 |
| 17 | 13.4 | 5:34 | 7:01 |
| 18 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:01 |
| 19 | 13.5 | 5:33 | 7:02 |
| 20 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:02 |
| 21 | 13.5 | 5:32 | 7:03 |
| 22 | 13.5 | 5:31 | 7:04 |
| 23 | 13.6 | 5:31 | 7:04 |
| 24 | 13.6 | 5:31 | 7:05 |
| 25 | 13.6 | 5:30 | 7:05 |
| 26 | 13.6 | 5:30 | 7:06 |
| 27 | 13.6 | 5:29 | 7:07 |
| 28 | 13.6 | 5:29 | 7:07 |
| 29 | 13.6 | 5:29 | 7:08 |
| 30 | 13.7 | 5:28 | 7:08 |
| 31 | 13.7 | 5:28 | 7:09 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.31 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.77 kWh/m² to a high of 7.31 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 7.31 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) | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| 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 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Delhi
In May, Delhi sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Delhi's monsoon runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Delhi sees seasonal dust haze (May–August), heaviest in June.
Is May a good time to visit Delhi?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Delhi.
What to pack for Delhi in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
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 in Delhi in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
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 |
Air quality in Delhi in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual 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 |
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.
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).