Varanasi weather in May
In May, Varanasi sees average daytime highs of 40°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 9 mm of rain across 2.9 wet days and about 13.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 9th-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 89% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Varanasi's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Varanasi's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 40°
- 1st warmest
- Overnight low
- 27°
- 10th coldest
- Rainfall
- 9 mm
- 2.9 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 12 min
- 5:17 AM – 6:31 PM
- Cloud cover
- 19%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.19 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 0.0
- out of 10
Varanasi is city on the banks of the Ganges in the Uttar Pradesh state of India.
- Air quality
- Severe
- PM10 183.6 µg/m³ · 2019
- Density
- 14,183/km²
- people per km²
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 Varanasi reaches about 40°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 37°C and 43°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 2°C warmer than April and about 2°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) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Avg low (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | 26 |
| 2 | 40 | 26 |
| 3 | 40 | 26 |
| 4 | 40 | 26 |
| 5 | 40 | 26 |
| 6 | 40 | 27 |
| 7 | 40 | 27 |
| 8 | 40 | 27 |
| 9 | 40 | 27 |
| 10 | 40 | 27 |
| 11 | 40 | 27 |
| 12 | 40 | 27 |
| 13 | 40 | 27 |
| 14 | 40 | 27 |
| 15 | 40 | 27 |
| 16 | 40 | 28 |
| 17 | 40 | 28 |
| 18 | 40 | 28 |
| 19 | 40 | 28 |
| 20 | 40 | 28 |
| 21 | 40 | 28 |
| 22 | 40 | 28 |
| 23 | 40 | 28 |
| 24 | 40 | 28 |
| 25 | 40 | 28 |
| 26 | 40 | 28 |
| 27 | 40 | 28 |
| 28 | 40 | 28 |
| 29 | 40 | 28 |
| 30 | 40 | 29 |
| 31 | 40 | 29 |
How May really feels in Varanasi
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.
Varanasi weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 11° | 17 | 2.2 | 10.6 | 8.8 |
| Feb | 27° / 14° | 17 | 2.3 | 11.1 | 8.3 |
| Mar | 33° / 18° | 12 | 2.1 | 11.8 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 38° / 24° | 6 | 2 | 12.6 | 1.0 |
| May | 40° / 27° | 9 | 2.9 | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 38° / 29° | 132 | 12.6 | 13.5 | 0.9 |
| Jul | 33° / 28° | 295 | 24.5 | 13.4 | 2.1 |
| Aug | 32° / 27° | 247 | 24.2 | 12.9 | 2.4 |
| Sep | 32° / 26° | 163 | 17.5 | 12.2 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 32° / 22° | 37 | 4.1 | 11.4 | 5.0 |
| Nov | 29° / 16° | 6 | 0.6 | 10.8 | 7.6 |
| Dec | 24° / 12° | 7 | 0.9 | 10.5 | 9.1 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 89% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 5%.
| 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 (%) | 95 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 |
| Cloudier (%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 95 | 5 |
| 2 | 95 | 5 |
| 3 | 95 | 5 |
| 4 | 96 | 4 |
| 5 | 96 | 4 |
| 6 | 96 | 4 |
| 7 | 96 | 4 |
| 8 | 96 | 4 |
| 9 | 96 | 4 |
| 10 | 96 | 4 |
| 11 | 96 | 4 |
| 12 | 96 | 4 |
| 13 | 96 | 4 |
| 14 | 96 | 4 |
| 15 | 96 | 4 |
| 16 | 96 | 4 |
| 17 | 96 | 4 |
| 18 | 95 | 5 |
| 19 | 96 | 4 |
| 20 | 96 | 4 |
| 21 | 96 | 4 |
| 22 | 96 | 4 |
| 23 | 96 | 4 |
| 24 | 95 | 5 |
| 25 | 95 | 5 |
| 26 | 95 | 5 |
| 27 | 94 | 6 |
| 28 | 94 | 6 |
| 29 | 93 | 7 |
| 30 | 92 | 8 |
| 31 | 91 | 9 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Varanasi gets around 9 mm of rain over 2.9 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 9% and peaks near 15% 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 (%) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 9 |
| 2 | 9 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 9 |
| 6 | 9 |
| 7 | 9 |
| 8 | 9 |
| 9 | 8 |
| 10 | 8 |
| 11 | 8 |
| 12 | 8 |
| 13 | 7 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 15 | 7 |
| 16 | 7 |
| 17 | 7 |
| 18 | 7 |
| 19 | 8 |
| 20 | 8 |
| 21 | 8 |
| 22 | 9 |
| 23 | 9 |
| 24 | 10 |
| 25 | 11 |
| 26 | 11 |
| 27 | 12 |
| 28 | 13 |
| 29 | 14 |
| 30 | 14 |
| 31 | 15 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 27% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 56% 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 (%) | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Comfortable (%) | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Humid (%) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Muggy (%) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| Oppressive (%) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 28 | 10 | 0 |
| 2 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 28 | 11 | 0 |
| 3 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 29 | 12 | 0 |
| 4 | 17 | 23 | 18 | 29 | 13 | 0 |
| 5 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 29 | 14 | 0 |
| 6 | 15 | 22 | 18 | 29 | 16 | 0 |
| 7 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 29 | 17 | 1 |
| 8 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 29 | 18 | 1 |
| 9 | 13 | 21 | 17 | 28 | 20 | 1 |
| 10 | 13 | 20 | 17 | 28 | 21 | 1 |
| 11 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 28 | 22 | 1 |
| 12 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 27 | 23 | 1 |
| 13 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 27 | 25 | 1 |
| 14 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 27 | 26 | 2 |
| 15 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 26 | 27 | 2 |
| 16 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 26 | 28 | 2 |
| 17 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 26 | 29 | 3 |
| 18 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 3 |
| 19 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 25 | 31 | 4 |
| 20 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 25 | 32 | 4 |
| 21 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 33 | 5 |
| 22 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 23 | 35 | 5 |
| 23 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 23 | 36 | 6 |
| 24 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 6 |
| 25 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 22 | 38 | 6 |
| 26 | 8 | 11 | 15 | 21 | 39 | 7 |
| 27 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 39 | 7 |
| 28 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 40 | 8 |
| 29 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 41 | 9 |
| 30 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 41 | 10 |
| 31 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 41 | 11 |
Wind in May
Winds average 10 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 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 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 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 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 10 | calm |
| 30 | 10 | calm |
| 31 | 10 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of May to 13 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 30 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:27 AM to 5:12 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 6:39 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) | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:27 | 5:26 | 5:26 | 5:25 | 5:24 | 5:23 | 5:23 | 5:22 | 5:21 | 5:21 | 5:20 | 5:19 | 5:19 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.9 | 5:27 | 6:23 |
| 2 | 13.0 | 5:26 | 6:24 |
| 3 | 13.0 | 5:26 | 6:24 |
| 4 | 13.0 | 5:25 | 6:25 |
| 5 | 13.0 | 5:24 | 6:25 |
| 6 | 13.0 | 5:23 | 6:26 |
| 7 | 13.1 | 5:23 | 6:26 |
| 8 | 13.1 | 5:22 | 6:27 |
| 9 | 13.1 | 5:21 | 6:27 |
| 10 | 13.1 | 5:21 | 6:28 |
| 11 | 13.1 | 5:20 | 6:28 |
| 12 | 13.2 | 5:19 | 6:29 |
| 13 | 13.2 | 5:19 | 6:30 |
| 14 | 13.2 | 5:18 | 6:30 |
| 15 | 13.2 | 5:18 | 6:31 |
| 16 | 13.2 | 5:17 | 6:31 |
| 17 | 13.2 | 5:17 | 6:32 |
| 18 | 13.3 | 5:16 | 6:32 |
| 19 | 13.3 | 5:16 | 6:33 |
| 20 | 13.3 | 5:15 | 6:33 |
| 21 | 13.3 | 5:15 | 6:34 |
| 22 | 13.3 | 5:15 | 6:34 |
| 23 | 13.3 | 5:14 | 6:35 |
| 24 | 13.4 | 5:14 | 6:35 |
| 25 | 13.4 | 5:14 | 6:36 |
| 26 | 13.4 | 5:13 | 6:36 |
| 27 | 13.4 | 5:13 | 6:37 |
| 28 | 13.4 | 5:13 | 6:37 |
| 29 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:38 |
| 30 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:38 |
| 31 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:39 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.19 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.07 kWh/m² to a high of 7.19 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 7.19 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 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 |
| 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 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.9 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Varanasi
In May, Varanasi sits inside its cyclone and dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Varanasi sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Varanasi's monsoon runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Varanasi sees seasonal dust haze (May–June), heaviest in June.
Is May a good time to visit Varanasi?
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 Varanasi.
What to pack for Varanasi in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Varanasi sees daytime highs around 40°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index in Varanasi in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Varanasi peaks around August 15 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 19 at about 3 (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) | 3 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 8 | Very high |
| Apr | 10 | Very high |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 8 | Very high |
| Oct | 7 | High |
| Nov | 5 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Air quality in Varanasi 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 Varanasi is worst in December — around 307 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 4.6× the cleanest month (July, 67 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 290 | 223 | 166 | 116 | 104 | 94 | 67 | 78 | 98 | 178 | 278 | 307 |
| Level | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 290 | Very unhealthy |
| Feb | 223 | Very unhealthy |
| Mar | 166 | Very unhealthy |
| Apr | 116 | Unhealthy |
| May | 104 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 94 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 67 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 78 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 98 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 178 | Very unhealthy |
| Nov | 278 | Very unhealthy |
| Dec | 307 | Very unhealthy |
Where is Varanasi?
Varanasi sits at 25.3°N, 83.0°E, 86 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Bodh Gaya, 211 km away.
Topography around Varanasi
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Varanasi.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Varanasi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m around an average of 77 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 39 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 420 m.
The land around Varanasi is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) within 3 km, cropland (55%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 16 km, and cropland (80%) 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 Varanasi (25.3167°, 83.0104°, elevation 86 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). 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).