South India Weather And Best Time To Visit South India

South India is a beautiful collection of woods, rivers, temples and ruins. Ensconced by seas and backwaters, this mass of land is truly peninsular. Because of its unique setting and three massive water bodies surrounding it, most of the coastal states of South India like Kerala, Karnataka, Goa etc experience maritime tropical climes. While the interiors of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are more continental. Due to the clear demarcation of three seasons in the Indian subcontinent, South India experiences the three seasons of Summer, Monsoon and Winter through the year. 

Although one can find many things to do during each season, Winter of South India becomes the best time to visit. With pleasant temperatures and endurable weather, South India blooms with tourism through Winter and early Summer.

The Great Indian Summer is really the kind of season most frozen countries wish for. Long days of sunshine, thick humid air and lots of salt in the sea. That is exactly the kind of summer that South India experiences from March to May. This part of India, being closest to the equator, should theoretically be hotter than the rest. But because it is also surrounded by water bodies on three sides (Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean), mostly maritime influence prevails, bringing down the average summer temperatures to 35°C on coasts like Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and 40°C in the interiors of Karnataka.

The hill station destinations like Munnar, Coorg and Ooty are still pleasant and endurable through the summers and give a much needed respite from all the heat. May is the hottest month and marks the gateway into an impending monsoon. You can visit the hill stations during summer but most plains and lowland/ seaside places should not be visited after April.

If rains, mist and mud are your thing then maybe monsoon is a good season to visit South India. With the setting of monsoon season, the hill stations become misty, lush and beautiful while the interiors cool down. The beaches may be wild as waters get choppy and flooding might spoil your plans for outdoor activities. Most South Indian cities receive high rainfall from the South West Monsoon Winds while Tamil Nadu also receives rain in winters because of the North East Trade Winds, averaging to 945 mm in this area.

However, some major festivals fall in monsoon season, like the famed Onam of Kerala (September), Rath Yatra (July) etc. The Ayurvedic massages and treatments are also said to fare better results in this season. Therefore you have some incentives for monsoon in South India.

Winter in the South is characterised by cool climes and dry skies, except in Tamil Nadu, where the North East Trade Winds bring another bout of rains. Hill stations like Ooty, Coorg, Munnar etc garner much lower temperates, anywhere between 5-20°C. The plains and sea sides experience a much more maritime winter, with temperatures between 12-30°C. Karnataka and Kerala experience what is called tropical winters while Goa is infused with cool air and lots of tourists milling the beaches. Water sports, outdoor activities and unhindered sightseeing become possible during winter. This season marks the setting of tourism in almost all South Indian destinations and hence the crowd goes on swelling up until the end of February.

The major Indian festival of Diwali falls in this season, during October-November, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm down south. For all these reasons, Winter becomes the most ideal time to visit South India.