Kolkata: When to Go

Kolkata sits just 6m (21ft) above sea level on the banks of the broad, slow-flowing Hooghly River. In summer (April to June) temperatures soar to over 30º C (86ºF), remaining high during the drenching monsoon that lasts from June to September. The best time to visit is from October to February, when the streets come alive with fairs and festivals and the weather behaves itself, for the most part, with modest temperatures and limited rainfall.

Weather

Kolkata positively bakes from April to June, so the arrival of the cooling monsoon rains in mid-June can feel like a blessing. The feeling doesn't last - for the next three months, rain buckets down on Kolkata like it was going out of fashion, swelling the Hooghly and flooding the streets. From October through to February the rains slow and temperatures drop back down to bearable levels. It is never cold in Kolkata - the temperature rarely drops below 15ºC (59ºF), and often soars above 35ºC (95ºF).

Temperature (average ° C)

Humidity (average %)

Rainfall (average mm)

Sunshine (average hrs per day)