Salem climate
Salem (Tamil Nadu, India) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 802 mm32 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Salem climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 1762 | 2475 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 3494 | 1865 | 2679 | 80.3 |
| Mar | 3799 | 2271 | 2985 | 180.7 |
| Apr | 38100 | 2576 | 3188 | 411.6 |
| May | 3696 | 2576 | 3086 | 833.3 |
| Jun | 3493 | 2374 | 2983 | 461.8 |
| Jul | 3492 | 2373 | 2883 | 642.5 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2272 | 2882 | 863.4 |
| Sep | 3290 | 2272 | 2781 | 1124.4 |
| Oct | 3187 | 2271 | 2679 | 1616.3 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2067 | 2476 | 1335.2 |
| Dec | 2984 | 1763 | 2374 | 461.8 |
| Year | 38100 | 1762 | 2781 | 80232 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69% | 36% | 5.2 | 11:30 |
| Feb | 58% | 29% | 6.1 | 11:45 |
| Mar | 50% | 34% | 6.4 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 52% | 48% | 6.5 | 12:23 |
| May | 62% | 63% | 6.1 | 12:39 |
| Jun | 65% | 77% | 5.6 | 12:48 |
| Jul | 65% | 82% | 5.3 | 12:45 |
| Aug | 68% | 81% | 5.4 | 12:30 |
| Sep | 72% | 76% | 5.5 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 78% | 72% | 4.8 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 82% | 66% | 4.3 | 11:34 |
| Dec | 78% | 54% | 4.3 | 11:27 |
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 Salem is like
The warmest month is April, with an average high of 38 °C100 °F and a low of 25 °C76 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 29 °C84 °F and lows 17 °C63 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.2 °C14.7 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 802 mm32 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January–March. The wettest month is October (161 mm6.3 in), the driest is January (6 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 50% in March to 82% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 29%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in October to 12 km/h (7 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Salem
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 46 mm1.8 in to 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is hot, with average highs of 38 °C100 °F.
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 Salem
- Wetter months (May, August–November) — highs 2984 to 36 °C96 °F, lows 2067 to 25 °C76 °F, about 115 mm4.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (December–April, June and July) — highs 2984 to 38 °C100 °F, lows 1762 to 25 °C76 °F, about 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Salem compares
Compared with Kallakurichi, about 88 km to the east, Salem is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F cooler and receives 8% less precipitation (802 mm32 in vs 874 mm34 in). The difference is largest in June (1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler).
Of the 382 places in India covered by World Climates, Salem is the 85th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 273rd 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: Buôn Ma Thuột (Vietnam, Aw), Maicao (Colombia, BSh) and Valledupar (Colombia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Erode 58 km · 28 °C83 °F · 727 mm29 in
- Karur 78 km · 28 °C83 °F · 763 mm30 in
- Kallakurichi 88 km · 28 °C82 °F · 874 mm34 in
- Tiruppur 106 km · 27 °C81 °F · 709 mm28 in
- Tiruchirappalli 110 km · 28 °C83 °F · 830 mm33 in
- Tiruvannamalai 119 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,086 mm43 in
- Hosur 125 km · 23 °C74 °F · 898 mm35 in
- Ambur 140 km · 27 °C80 °F · 886 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Salem?
April is the warmest month in Salem, with an average high of 38 °C (100 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Salem?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
When does it rain the most in Salem?
October is the wettest month with about 161 mm (6.3 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 6 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Salem?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December.
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.