Climate in Puducherry (India)

In Puducherry (Pondicherry or Pondichéry) there is a tropical climate, hot all year round, with a dry season from January to April, moderate rainfall from May to July, and a rainy season from August to December. Within the latter, the rainiest period stands out, which goes from mid-October to mid-December, and is caused by the northeast monsoon or retreating monsoon.
The city is located in southeast India, at 12 degrees north latitude, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
We are in the Puducherry district, called Pondicherry until 2006, an enclave in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Union Territory of Puducherry also includes other small territories of India, formerly administered by France: Mahé (on the southwestern coast), Karikal or Karaikal (about 100 km or 62 mi south of Puducherry, with a similar climate) and Yanaon (on the east coast, but much further north than Puducherry).



In winter, from December to February, temperatures are high, however, in December it is still the rainy season, while in January and February the weather becomes good. On the coolest nights, the temperatures drop to 18/19 °C (64/66 °F), while the coldest records are 16/17 °C (61/63 °F).
Starting from March, the temperature gradually increases, and the high humidity makes the heat sweltering.
The hottest period of the year is the one before the monsoon, from late May to early June. In this period, the temperature on the hottest days generally reaches 40/41 °C (104/106 °F), while the record is 43 °C (109.5 °F).
In June, the southwest monsoon begins on the south-west coast of India, but the south-east side is protected by the Western Ghats, so rainfall is not abundant. Starting from August, the periods in which the winds blow from the east increase, so the rains become more frequent.
From mid-October to December, the north-east monsoon, or retreating monsoon, blows, bringing abundant rainfall in this area of ​​India.
Puducherry is in the path of tropical cyclones. Cyclones generally occur from April to December, although south-east India is normally affected only from mid-October to December, and more rarely in May.

Best Time

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The best months to visit Puducherry are January and February, as they are the least hot within the dry season. March to May is still the dry season but it is very hot, especially in April and May.

Puducherry - Climate data

In Puducherry, the average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 25.4 °C, that of the warmest months (May, June) is of 32 °C. Here are the average temperatures.