South India is located within the tropics (in fact the tip of the sub-continent is only about 8 degrees from the equator). This means that the temperature is warm to hot throughout the year. The south of India experiences two monsoons a year – the main south westerly (from the Arabian Sea) and the later north easterly (from the Bay of Bengal). Not all areas benefit from these rains because of the mountains but generally the land on the western side of the Western Ghats is the greenest. The areas experiencing more rain can be humid but on the coast you can expect this to be relieved by a sea breeze. In the mountains it is considerably cooler (even cold at night).

We provide a weather chart for the main cities of each state but as a general rule the best time to visit South India is during the European Winter (October/November to April). May, June and July are when the heaviest rains fall. August and September can be pleasant and in many places this is festival time.