Climate in Udhagamandalam (Tamil Nadu)

In Udhagamandalam (or Udhagai, also known as Ootacamund or Ooty), we have a subtropical mountain climate, with a dry period from January to March, and a rainy season from May to November.
The city is located in southern India, at 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level, in the state of Tamil Nadu, and 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the coast of the Arabian Sea, where Kozhikode (Calicut) is located. The nearest large city, however, is Coimbatore, which is located 50 km (31 mi) to the south-east.
Ooty is found in the area of ​​the Nilgiri Hills ("blue mountains"), located in the southernmost part of the Western Ghats, and at the junction with the Eastern Ghats. A short distance from Ooty is the highest peak of these mountains, Doddabetta, 2,637 metres (8,652 ft) high.



The altitude makes the climate decidedly cooler than at lower altitudes, and due to the length of the rainy season, the area is covered by forest.
The rainfall is relatively abundant, amounting to 1,240 millimeters (48.7 inches) per year, but it is much less abundant than on the western coast of India. However, the rains last for many months because we are in an area where the two humid monsoons of southern India merge, the summer one, from May to September, which peaks in July, and the retreating one, from October to December, which has a peak in October. As a result, more than 100 millimeters per month fall from May to November, with two peaks in July and October. Here is the average rainfall.

The average annual temperature is just above 15 °C (59 °F). In the summer there is cool weather, with highs 17/18 °C (63/64 °F) in July and August, and lows of 11 °C (52 °F).
In winter, on the other hand, due to clear skies, it gets a little colder at night and a little warmer during the day, compared to the summer and monsoon months. On the coldest nights, from December to February, the temperature can drop to 2/3 °C (35/37 °F). In January 1975 it even dropped to -2 °C (28.5 °F), while in December 1995 it dropped to -1 °C (30 °F).
The warmest months are those preceding the rainy season, March and April.
Here are the average temperatures.

To the north of Oooty is the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, which, being at around 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) above sea level, has higher temperatures, of 28/30 °C (82/86 °F) from July to September, and of 33/34 °C (91/93 °F), and sometimes even more, from March to May, that is, in the hottest period, before the monsoon.

Even in Udhagamandalam, as generally happens in India, the sun often shines in the dry season and quite rarely in the rainy months, however due to the location in the mountains, where it is easier for clouds to form, this city is a little less sunny than the coast.

Udhagamandalam is in the path of tropical cyclones. Typically, cyclones occur from April to December, although the extreme south of India is normally affected only in November and December. In any case, since the sea is warm all year round, in theory they can also form from January to March, perhaps in light form (as tropical storms).

Best Time

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The best time to visit Udhagamandalam is from January to March, as it is the driest and sunniest of the year. Even in December and April, however, the weather is often good.
In summer, although it is the rainy season, this mountainous area can be considered a refuge to escape the heat of the lowlands.
In December, especially in the first half, a tropical cyclone can still sometimes pass through, although this rarely happens.