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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Varanasi India

In Varanasi, the wet season is oppressive and mostly cloudy, the dry season is mostly clear, and it is hot year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 49°F to 106°F and is rarely below 43°F or above 112°F.

Based on the beach/pool score, the best times of year to visit Varanasi for hot-weather activities are from mid March to early May and from early October to early November.

Climate in Varanasi

warmhotswelteringhotwarmJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow91%91%15%15%clearovercastprecipitation: 8.2 inprecipitation: 8.2 in0.1 in0.1 inmuggy: 100%muggy: 100%2%2%drydrybeach/pool score: 7.7beach/pool score: 7.71.71.7
Varanasi weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The hot season lasts for 2.6 months, from April 3 to June 22, with an average daily high temperature above 99°F. The hottest month of the year in Varanasi is May, with an average high of 105°F and low of 79°F.

The cool season lasts for 2.2 months, from December 5 to February 10, with an average daily high temperature below 78°F. The coldest month of the year in Varanasi is January, with an average low of 49°F and high of 73°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Varanasi

Average High and Low Temperature in VaranasihotcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°F110°F110°F120°F120°FJan 1072°FJan 1072°FMay 22106°FMay 22106°F49°F49°F80°F80°FApr 399°FApr 399°FDec 578°FDec 578°F69°F69°F82°F82°F54°F54°F54°F54°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 73°F80°F92°F102°F105°F101°F93°F92°F91°F90°F84°F75°F
Temp. 60°F67°F77°F88°F92°F91°F86°F85°F84°F80°F71°F62°F
Low 49°F55°F63°F73°F79°F82°F80°F80°F78°F70°F59°F51°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Varanasi

Average Hourly Temperature in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowcoldcoldcoolcoolcoolcoolwarmhothotswelteringcomfortablecomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Tamuin, Mexico (9,175 miles away) and Tennant Creek, Australia (4,638 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Varanasi (view comparison).

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In Varanasi, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Varanasi begins around September 23 and lasts for 8.9 months, ending around June 19.

The clearest month of the year in Varanasi is May, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 89% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around June 19 and lasts for 3.1 months, ending around September 23.

The cloudiest month of the year in Varanasi is August, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 81% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Varanasi

Cloud Cover Categories in VaranasiclearerclearercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%May 1591%May 1591%Jul 3115%Jul 3115%Sep 2352%Sep 2352%Jun 1954%Jun 1954%NowNowclearovercastmostly clearpartly cloudy
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 14%13%16%14%11%41%78%81%56%18%13%15%
Clearer 86%87%84%86%89%59%22%19%44%82%87%85%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Varanasi varies very significantly throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 3.3 months, from June 14 to September 23, with a greater than 32% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Varanasi is July, with an average of 18.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 8.7 months, from September 23 to June 14. The month with the fewest wet days in Varanasi is November, with an average of 0.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Varanasi is July, with an average of 18.8 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 63% on July 20.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Varanasi

Daily Chance of Precipitation in VaranasiwetdrydryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jul 2063%Jul 2063%Dec 52%Dec 52%Jun 1432%Jun 1432%Sep 2332%Sep 2332%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 1.7d2.0d1.1d1.4d3.4d10.5d18.8d18.1d11.9d3.6d0.8d0.9d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Varanasi experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

The rainy period of the year lasts for 5.5 months, from May 13 to October 29, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The month with the most rain in Varanasi is July, with an average rainfall of 8.2 inches.

The rainless period of the year lasts for 6.5 months, from October 29 to May 13. The month with the least rain in Varanasi is November, with an average rainfall of 0.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Varanasi

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 0.4″0.5″0.2″0.3″0.6″3.8″8.2″7.6″5.0″1.2″0.2″0.2″

The length of the day in Varanasi varies over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 10 hours, 34 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 21, with 13 hours, 43 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Varanasi

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 6 minMar 2012 hr, 6 minMar 2013 hr, 43 minJun 2113 hr, 43 minJun 2112 hr, 8 minSep 2212 hr, 8 minSep 2210 hr, 34 minDec 2110 hr, 34 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 10.8h11.3h12.0h12.8h13.4h13.7h13.5h13.0h12.3h11.5h10.9h10.6h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:06 AM on June 8, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 39 minutes later at 6:45 AM on January 13. The earliest sunset is at 5:07 PM on November 29, and the latest sunset is 1 hour, 45 minutes later at 6:52 PM on July 1.

Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Varanasi during 2024.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in Varanasi

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 85:06 AMJun 85:06 AM6:52 PMJul 16:52 PMJul 1Nov 295:07 PMNov 295:07 PM6:45 AMJan 136:45 AMJan 13daynightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Varanasi

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM000010101010202020203030303040404040505050606070708000001010101020202020303030304040404050505060606070708041NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Varanasi

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

Varanasi experiences extreme seasonal variation in the perceived humidity.

The muggier period of the year lasts for 6.1 months, from May 4 to November 7, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 26% of the time. The month with the most muggy days in Varanasi is August, with 31.0 days that are muggy or worse.

The month with the fewest muggy days in Varanasi is January, with 0.7 days that are muggy or worse.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Varanasi

Humidity Comfort Levels in VaranasimuggyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jan 112%Jan 112%100%Aug 8100%Aug 8May 426%May 426%Nov 726%Nov 726%NowNowmiserablemiserablehumidhumidcomfortablecomfortabledrydryoppressiveoppressive
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.7d1.3d1.6d3.6d12.1d23.8d30.7d31.0d29.8d22.4d5.1d0.8d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Varanasi experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 6.9 months, from February 15 to September 13, with average wind speeds of more than 6.7 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Varanasi is June, with an average hourly wind speed of 8.4 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 5.1 months, from September 13 to February 15. The calmest month of the year in Varanasi is November, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.0 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Varanasi

Average Wind Speed in VaranasiwindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mphJun 188.5 mphJun 188.5 mphOct 234.8 mphOct 234.8 mphFeb 156.7 mphFeb 156.7 mphSep 136.7 mphSep 136.7 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 6.06.77.57.67.88.47.97.26.45.05.05.4

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Varanasi varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the east for 4.4 months, from May 17 to September 29, with a peak percentage of 51% on August 14. The wind is most often from the west for 7.6 months, from September 29 to May 17, with a peak percentage of 48% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Varanasi

Wind Direction in VaranasiWEWJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwesteastnorthsouth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Varanasi throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Varanasi for general outdoor tourist activities are from early February to mid March and from late October to mid December, with a peak score in the second week of November.

Tourism Score in Varanasi

Tourism Score in Varanasibest timebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810108.38.31.71.78.18.16.36.3NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Varanasi for hot-weather activities are from mid March to early May and from early October to early November, with a peak score in the last week of March.

Beach/Pool Score in Varanasi

Beach/Pool Score in Varanasibest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810107.77.71.71.77.77.72.72.7NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

Temperatures in Varanasi are sufficiently warm year round that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss the growing season in these terms. We nevertheless include the chart below as an illustration of the distribution of temperatures experienced throughout the year.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Varanasi

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%100%Jan 1100%Jan 1100%Jul 2100%Jul 2NowNowcoldcoolwarmhotswelteringcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Growing Degree Days in Varanasi

Growing Degree Days in VaranasiJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F1,000°F1,000°F2,000°F2,000°F3,000°F3,000°F4,000°F4,000°F5,000°F5,000°F6,000°F6,000°F7,000°F7,000°F8,000°F8,000°F9,000°F9,000°FJan 1190°FJan 1190°FApr 71,800°FApr 71,800°FDec 319,662°FDec 319,662°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 2.5 months, from March 29 to June 12, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.8 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Varanasi is May, with an average of 7.5 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 2.5 months, from November 9 to January 27, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 4.7 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Varanasi is December, with an average of 4.0 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Varanasi

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in VaranasibrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhMay 167.5 kWhMay 167.5 kWhDec 214.0 kWhDec 214.0 kWhMar 296.8 kWhMar 296.8 kWhJan 274.7 kWhJan 274.7 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 4.45.36.47.27.56.65.45.15.15.34.54.0

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Varanasi are 25.317 deg latitude, 83.010 deg longitude, and 282 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Varanasi contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 154 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 255 feet. Within 10 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation (154 feet). Within 50 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (1,427 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Varanasi is covered by artificial surfaces (90%), within 10 miles by cropland (76%) and artificial surfaces (18%), and within 50 miles by cropland (94%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Varanasi, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There is only a single weather station, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, in our network suitable to be used as a proxy for the historical temperature and dew point records of Varanasi.

At a distance of 21 kilometers from Varanasi, closer than our threshold of 150 kilometers, this station is deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as our primary source for temperature and dew point records.

The station records are corrected for the elevation difference between the station and Varanasi according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

Please note that the station records themselves may additionally have been back-filled using other nearby stations or the MERRA-2 reanalysis.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.