Best time to visit Kolkata
The best time to visit Kolkata is November–February, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.6 °C / 78 °F | 13.9 °C / 57 °F | 13 mm / 0.5 in | best month |
| February | 29.3 °C / 85 °F | 17.5 °C / 64 °F | 26 mm / 1 in | best month |
| March | 33.4 °C / 92 °F | 22.4 °C / 72 °F | 24 mm / 1 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 35.8 °C / 96 °F | 25.9 °C / 79 °F | 58 mm / 2.3 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 35.3 °C / 96 °F | 26.9 °C / 80 °F | 121 mm / 4.7 in | neither best nor good |
| June | 33.9 °C / 93 °F | 27.7 °C / 82 °F | 242 mm / 9.5 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 32 °C / 90 °F | 27.3 °C / 81 °F | 349 mm / 13.7 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 31.9 °C / 89 °F | 27.2 °C / 81 °F | 331 mm / 13 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 32 °C / 90 °F | 26.9 °C / 80 °F | 271 mm / 10.7 in | good month, for Durga Puja. The weather alone makes it neither best nor good. |
| October | 31.6 °C / 89 °F | 24.7 °C / 76 °F | 138 mm / 5.4 in | good month, for Durga Puja. The weather alone makes it neither best nor good. |
| November | 29.7 °C / 85 °F | 19.7 °C / 67 °F | 25 mm / 1 in | best month |
| December | 26.4 °C / 80 °F | 15.3 °C / 60 °F | 17 mm / 0.7 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- November–February
- Good
- September–October
Kolkata's cool, dry winter from November through February is excellent for exploring outdoors, but March through October bring escalating heat that peaks around April-May and a heavy, afternoon-falling monsoon from June through September; September and October are lifted to good despite the weather by the major Durga Puja festival.
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.5 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 25.6 °C / 78 °F, precipitation 13 mm / 0.5 in, share of daylight that is sunny 92%, wet days 1.6 days, days with heavy rain 0.5 days, average daily low 13.9 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Also on: Kolkata Book Fair.
Watch out for: Christmas and New Year's Day bank holidays, Ramadan public holidays.
February · best
In its favour: precipitation 26 mm / 1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 93%, feels like (high) 30.5 °C / 87 °F, wet days 2.5 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily high 29.3 °C / 85 °F, average daily low 17.5 °C / 64 °F, relative humidity 70%.
Also on: Kolkata Book Fair.
Watch out for: Ramadan public holidays.
September · good
Made good by Durga Puja.
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 66%.
Against: feels like (high) 38.9 °C / 102 °F, precipitation 271 mm / 10.7 in, wet days 25.3 days, days with heavy rain 9.9 days, relative humidity 86%, average daily high 32 °C / 90 °F, average daily low 26.9 °C / 80 °F.
Watch out for: Durga Puja crowds and closures.
October · good
Made good by Durga Puja.
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 79%.
Against: feels like (high) 37.2 °C / 99 °F, precipitation 138 mm / 5.4 in, relative humidity 83%, days with heavy rain 4.4 days, average daily high 31.6 °C / 89 °F, average daily low 24.7 °C / 76 °F, wet days 12.8 days.
Also on: Diwali fireworks and decorations, Kali Puja.
Watch out for: Durga Puja crowds and closures.
November · best
In its favour: precipitation 25 mm / 1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, wet days 2.1 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily low 19.7 °C / 67 °F.
Against: relative humidity 76%, feels like (high) 31.8 °C / 89 °F, average daily high 29.7 °C / 85 °F.
Also on: Diwali fireworks and decorations, Kali Puja, Ras Mela.
Watch out for: Ras Mela crowding.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.5 °C / 80 °F, precipitation 17 mm / 0.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, average daily high 26.4 °C / 80 °F, wet days 1.4 days, days with heavy rain 0.5 days, average daily low 15.3 °C / 60 °F, relative humidity 75%.
Also on: Kolkata International Film Festival, Ras Mela.
Watch out for: Christmas and New Year's Day bank holidays, Ras Mela crowding.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is 1245 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 25.5 °C | 30.5 °C | 36.5 °C | 40.8 °C | 41.5 °C | 40.6 °C | 38.7 °C | 38.6 °C | 38.9 °C | 37.2 °C | 31.8 °C | 26.5 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.5 days | 0.7 days | 0.8 days | 1.8 days | 3.5 days | 8.4 days | 11.9 days | 11.7 days | 9.9 days | 4.4 days | 0.7 days | 0.5 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 2 pm | 4 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 3 pm | 1 pm | 1 pm | 1 pm | 1 pm | 1 pm | 3 pm | 10 am |
| Sunshine per day | 10 h | 10.6 h | 11.1 h | 11.6 h | 10.9 h | 8.8 h | 7.5 h | 7.4 h | 8.1 h | 9.2 h | 9.6 h | 9.5 h |
| Relative humidity | 74% | 70% | 70% | 73% | 76% | 82% | 86% | 86% | 86% | 83% | 76% | 75% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 122.6 µg/m³ | 77.8 µg/m³ | 56.7 µg/m³ | 43.9 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ | 32.6 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 25.2 µg/m³ | 25.1 µg/m³ | 56.3 µg/m³ | 102.3 µg/m³ | 109.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 177 µg/m³ | 121.8 µg/m³ | 88.2 µg/m³ | 65.7 µg/m³ | 46.1 µg/m³ | 48.8 µg/m³ | 26.4 µg/m³ | 36.2 µg/m³ | 39.2 µg/m³ | 88.4 µg/m³ | 155.2 µg/m³ | 160.8 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Durga Puja Major
September and October, dates vary from year to year
- Kolkata Book Fair
24 January–7 February
- Holi celebrations
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- IPL cricket season
April and May, dates vary from year to year
- Kolkata District Book Fair
May
- Kali Puja
October and November, dates vary from year to year
- Diwali fireworks and decorations
October and November, dates vary from year to year
- Ras Mela
20 November–10 December, dates vary from year to year
- Kolkata International Film Festival
15–22 December
Worth knowing before you go
- Christmas and New Year's Day bank holidays
January and December
- Ramadan public holidays
January, February and March, dates vary from year to year
- Durga Puja crowds and closures
September and October, dates vary from year to year
- Ras Mela crowding
20 November–10 December, dates vary from year to year