Purnia climate

Bihar, India · 25.78°N, 87.47°E · elevation 44 m · population 282,248

Warmest month
May
high 38 °C101 °F
Coldest month
January
low 9 °C47 °F
Wettest month
July
357 mm14 in
Best time to visit
November–February
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
1,348 mm53 in
December driest
Year average
25 °C78 °F
monsoon-influenced humid subtropical (Cwa)

Purnia (Bihar, India) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 25 °C78 °F, and about 1,348 mm53 in of precipitation falls in an average year.

Temperature by month

Average highAverage low
5°10°15°20°25°30°35°40°60°80°100°JFMAMJJASOND38°101°9°47°January: high 23 °C / 73 °F, low 9 °C / 47 °FFebruary: high 28 °C / 82 °F, low 12 °C / 54 °FMarch: high 34 °C / 94 °F, low 18 °C / 64 °FApril: high 38 °C / 101 °F, low 23 °C / 73 °FMay: high 38 °C / 101 °F, low 26 °C / 78 °FJune: high 36 °C / 97 °F, low 27 °C / 81 °FJuly: high 32 °C / 90 °F, low 26 °C / 79 °FAugust: high 32 °C / 89 °F, low 26 °C / 79 °FSeptember: high 31 °C / 87 °F, low 25 °C / 76 °FOctober: high 30 °C / 85 °F, low 21 °C / 69 °FNovember: high 27 °C / 80 °F, low 15 °C / 59 °FDecember: high 23 °C / 74 °F, low 10 °C / 51 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
010020030040004812JJanuary: 6 mm / 0.2 inFFebruary: 9 mm / 0.4 inMMarch: 19 mm / 0.8 inAApril: 52 mm / 2.0 inMMay: 122 mm / 4.8 inJJune: 211 mm / 8.3 inJJuly: 357 mm / 14.1 inAAugust: 253 mm / 10.0 inSSeptember: 236 mm / 9.3 inOOctober: 76 mm / 3.0 inNNovember: 4 mm / 0.2 inDDecember: 2 mm / 0.1 in35714.1

Purnia climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mmin
Jan2373947166060.2
Feb28821254206890.4
Mar349418642679190.8
Apr3810123733187522.0
May38101267832901224.8
Jun3697278132892118.3
Jul32902679298535714
Aug32892679298425310.0
Sep3187257628822369.3
Oct308521692577763.0
Nov27801559217040.2
Dec23741051176220.1
Year3810194725781,34853

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan55%31%3.310:41
Feb44%26%4.411:15
Mar34%29%5.511:57
Apr37%40%6.012:44
May51%54%5.813:24
Jun67%74%5.113:44
Jul84%85%4.513:36
Aug86%82%4.713:02
Sep87%70%4.512:16
Oct80%35%4.511:30
Nov72%15%4.110:51
Dec65%24%3.310:32

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 Purnia is like

The warmest month is May, with an average high of 38 °C101 °F and a low of 26 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 9 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 16.2 °C29.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.

It is wet, with about 1,348 mm53 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–March. The wettest month is July (357 mm14 in), the driest is December (2 mm0.1 in).

Relative humidity ranges from 34% in March to 87% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 15%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (2 mph) in November to 9 km/h (5 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.

Best time to visit Purnia

Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation per month.

The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 32 °C90 °F, very wet (357 mm14 in) and humid (84% relative humidity).

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 Purnia

  • Winter (December–February) — highs 2373 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 947 to 12 °C54 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
  • Spring (March–May) — highs 3494 to 38 °C101 °F, lows 1864 to 26 °C78 °F, about 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
  • Summer (June–August) — highs 3289 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 2679 to 27 °C81 °F, about 274 mm11 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
  • Autumn (September–November) — highs 2780 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 1559 to 25 °C76 °F, about 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.

How Purnia compares

Compared with Bhagalpur, about 78 km to the southwest, Purnia is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler and receives 20% more precipitation (1,348 mm53 in vs 1,121 mm44 in). The difference is largest in May (1.4 °C2.4 °F cooler).

Of the 382 places in India covered by World Climates, Purnia is the 280th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 80th 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: Biratnagar (Nepal, Cwa), Lahan (Nepal, Cwa) and Mohammadpur (Bangladesh, Cwa).

Nearby places

  • Katihar 28 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,229 mm48 in
  • Kishanganj 60 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,701 mm67 in
  • Raiganj 68 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,476 mm58 in
  • Biratnagar 78 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,394 mm55 in
  • Bhagalpur 78 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,121 mm44 in
  • Saharsa 89 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,164 mm46 in
  • Malda 109 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,317 mm52 in
  • Dharan 117 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,231 mm48 in

All places in India

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Purnia?

May is the warmest month in Purnia, with an average high of 38 °C (101 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (78 °F).

What is the coldest month in Purnia?

January is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (47 °F).

When does it rain the most in Purnia?

July is the wettest month with about 357 mm (14.1 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).

What is the best time to visit Purnia?

Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–February.

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.

Sources and method