Climate in Mysore (Karnataka)

In Mysore (Mahisur, Mahisūru or Mysuru) there is a tropical climate (according to the Köppen classification, tropical savannah climate, Aw), hot all year round, with a dry season from December to March and moderate rainfall from April to November.
The city is located in south-west India, at 12 degrees north latitude and 760 meters (2,500 feet) above sea level, in the state of Karnataka, of which it is the second largest city after Bangalore.
Near the city are the Chamundi Hills, hills that reach 1,060 meters (3,478 ft) above sea level and are home to the Chamundeshwari temple.
Here are the average temperatures.

The rains are not abundant, in fact they amount to 830 millimeters (32.5 inches) per year. We are in the area where the summer monsoon, which here runs from June to mid-October, does not produce very evident effects, especially in the period in which the south-west currents prevail, that is from June to August, because they are blocked by the Western Ghats mountain range, which lies further west.
Here is the average rainfall.

About 100 km (62 mi) to the west, at 1,150 meters (3,770 ft) above sea level, is Madikeri, in the district of Kodagu (or Coorg), which, being in the Western Ghats, has a different climate, in fact the summer is cool (the maximum temperatures in July and August are around 22 °C or 71.5 °F) and very rainy: 3,200 mm (125 in) of rain fall there per year, of which more than 600 mm (23.5 in) per month from June to August.
To the south of Mysore is the Bandipur National Park, which, being close to the mountains, is also rainier in summer.



Winter, from December to February, is warm and sunny, with fairly cool nights, and occasionally even a little cold. On cooler nights, the temperature drops to 12/13 °C (54/55 °F), but the records are 8/9 °C (46/48 °F). In February, the temperature already begins to rise slightly.

Spring, from March to May, is actually the hottest period of the year, before the monsoon arrives, and therefore can be considered as true summer, as happens in many areas of India. The altitude tempers the heat, however, on the hottest days the temperature can reach 38/39 °C (100/102 °F). In late April 2016, it reached 40 °C (104 °F).
March is still a dry month, while April and May experience rain showers, which gradually become more frequent. In May there is a first peak of rain, which will be followed by the second in September and October.

In summer from June to mid-October, temperatures drop a bit, but in return the humidity increases. As mentioned, the rains are not abundant, especially in the period June-August, while starting from September, when the periods in which the winds blow from the east increase, the rains become more abundant. Every now and then a flood can occur, as happened in September 2017.

From mid-October, the wind begins to blow from the north-east, which in the first period, until November, still brings some rain. This is the so-called retreating monsoon, which generally does not bring abundant rain to Mysore.

Mysore is in the path of tropical cyclones. Cyclones typically occur from April to December, although southern India is normally affected only from mid-October to December. Since we are far enough from the coast, the city is not hit by cyclones at full strength, however, they can bring heavy rainfall.

Best Time

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The best months to visit Mysore are December and January, as they are the least hot within the dry season. November is generally a good month, in fact the temperatures are among the lowest of the year, moreover it does not rain a lot, even if it depends on the years. In February and March, it is still the dry season but it is hotter (albeit less than at sea level).