Varanasi climate
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh, India) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 814 mm32 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Varanasi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 847 | 1661 | 120.5 |
| Feb | 2984 | 1253 | 2068 | 140.5 |
| Mar | 3596 | 1763 | 2680 | 100.4 |
| Apr | 41106 | 2475 | 3391 | 110.4 |
| May | 43110 | 2983 | 3697 | 220.9 |
| Jun | 41106 | 3086 | 3696 | 1094.3 |
| Jul | 3494 | 2781 | 3187 | 2499.8 |
| Aug | 3391 | 2679 | 2985 | 2007.9 |
| Sep | 3290 | 2476 | 2883 | 1465.7 |
| Oct | 3289 | 2068 | 2678 | 341.3 |
| Nov | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 2476 | 949 | 1762 | 50.2 |
| Year | 43110 | 847 | 2780 | 81432 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46% | 33% | 3.1 | 10:43 |
| Feb | 41% | 26% | 4.5 | 11:16 |
| Mar | 29% | 27% | 5.8 | 11:57 |
| Apr | 22% | 24% | 6.6 | 12:43 |
| May | 26% | 34% | 6.6 | 13:22 |
| Jun | 43% | 61% | 5.7 | 13:42 |
| Jul | 74% | 80% | 4.6 | 13:34 |
| Aug | 82% | 75% | 4.8 | 13:01 |
| Sep | 81% | 60% | 4.7 | 12:16 |
| Oct | 68% | 23% | 4.7 | 11:31 |
| Nov | 58% | 14% | 3.8 | 10:52 |
| Dec | 51% | 25% | 3.0 | 10:34 |
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 Varanasi is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 43 °C110 °F and a low of 29 °C83 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 8 °C47 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.9 °C35.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 814 mm32 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 73% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–April. The wettest month is July (249 mm9.8 in), the driest is November (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 22% in April to 82% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 14%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 10 km/h (7 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Varanasi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 14 mm0.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 34 °C94 °F and very wet (249 mm9.8 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 Varanasi
- Winter (December–February) — highs 2475 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 847 to 12 °C53 °F, about 10 mm0.4 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 3596 to 43 °C110 °F, lows 1763 to 29 °C83 °F, about 14 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3391 to 41 °C106 °F, lows 2679 to 30 °C86 °F, about 186 mm7.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2883 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 1457 to 24 °C76 °F, about 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Varanasi compares
Compared with Patna, about 216 km to the east, Varanasi is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F warmer and receives 18% less precipitation (814 mm32 in vs 994 mm39 in). The difference is largest in June (1 °C1.7 °F warmer).
Of the 382 places in India covered by World Climates, Varanasi is the 141st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 267th 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: Janakpur (Nepal, Cwa), Nepalgunj (Nepal, Cwa) and Birgañj (Nepal, Cwa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar (pop. 109,650). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Varanasi, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Mirzapur 49 km · 27 °C80 °F · 851 mm34 in
- Gyanpur 55 km · 27 °C80 °F · 827 mm33 in
- Jaunpur 58 km · 26 °C79 °F · 867 mm34 in
- Ghazipur 65 km · 26 °C80 °F · 890 mm35 in
- Azamgarh 85 km · 26 °C79 °F · 892 mm35 in
- Mau 89 km · 26 °C79 °F · 952 mm37 in
- Sasaram 109 km · 27 °C80 °F · 913 mm36 in
- Prayagraj 118 km · 27 °C80 °F · 861 mm34 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Varanasi?
May is the warmest month in Varanasi, with an average high of 43 °C (110 °F) and an average low of 29 °C (83 °F).
What is the coldest month in Varanasi?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in Varanasi?
July is the wettest month with about 249 mm (9.8 in) of precipitation; November is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Varanasi?
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.