Darjiling climate
Darjiling (West Bengal, India) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 1,545 mm61 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Darjiling climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1152 | 133 | 642 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 1458 | 236 | 847 | 130.5 |
| Mar | 1966 | 643 | 1254 | 301.2 |
| Apr | 2271 | 949 | 1560 | 632.5 |
| May | 2271 | 1253 | 1762 | 1445.7 |
| Jun | 2271 | 1457 | 1864 | 2359.2 |
| Jul | 2068 | 1458 | 1763 | 41916 |
| Aug | 2068 | 1458 | 1763 | 31712 |
| Sep | 1966 | 1355 | 1661 | 2429.5 |
| Oct | 1763 | 1050 | 1356 | 702.8 |
| Nov | 1458 | 642 | 1050 | 40.2 |
| Dec | 1253 | 236 | 745 | 30.1 |
| Year | 2271 | 133 | 1356 | 1,54561 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50% | 61% | 3.5 | 10:37 |
| Feb | 45% | 67% | 3.9 | 11:12 |
| Mar | 40% | 72% | 4.4 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 48% | 77% | 4.7 | 12:46 |
| May | 65% | 81% | 4.6 | 13:28 |
| Jun | 79% | 85% | 4.3 | 13:50 |
| Jul | 89% | 87% | 4.0 | 13:41 |
| Aug | 90% | 87% | 4.1 | 13:05 |
| Sep | 89% | 83% | 3.8 | 12:17 |
| Oct | 80% | 69% | 4.1 | 11:28 |
| Nov | 69% | 60% | 3.9 | 10:46 |
| Dec | 59% | 59% | 3.5 | 10:27 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Darjiling is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 22 °C71 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 11 °C52 °F and lows 1 °C33 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 12 °C21.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,545 mm61 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 63% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–February. The wettest month is July (419 mm16 in), the driest is December (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 40% in March to 90% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in November to 6 km/h (4 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Darjiling
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 22 °C71 °F with 30 mm1.2 in to 63 mm2.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is very wet (419 mm16 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Darjiling
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1152 to 14 °C58 °F, lows 133 to 2 °C36 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1966 to 22 °C71 °F, lows 643 to 12 °C53 °F, about 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2068 to 22 °C71 °F, lows around 14 °C57 °F, about 324 mm13 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1458 to 19 °C66 °F, lows 642 to 13 °C55 °F, about 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Darjiling compares
Compared with Siliguri, about 39 km to the southeast, Darjiling is on average 12.1 °C21.7 °F cooler and receives 13% less precipitation (1,545 mm61 in vs 1,774 mm70 in). The difference is largest in April (13.8 °C24.9 °F cooler).
Of the 382 places in India covered by World Climates, Darjiling is the 382nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 55th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the India climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Thimphu (Bhutan, Cwb), Lijiang (China, Cwb) and Zhaotong (China, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Siliguri 39 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,774 mm70 in
- Gangtok 47 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Jalpaiguri 74 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,048 mm81 in
- Dharan 101 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,231 mm48 in
- Kishanganj 108 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,701 mm67 in
- Jaigaon 112 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,620 mm64 in
- Biratnagar 118 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,394 mm55 in
- Thimphu 144 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,024 mm40 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Darjiling?
June is the warmest month in Darjiling, with an average high of 22 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Darjiling?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 11 °C (52 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (33 °F).
When does it rain the most in Darjiling?
July is the wettest month with about 419 mm (16.5 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Darjiling?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,314 m, while Darjiling lies at about 2,127 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −5.3 °C9.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.