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 India is so vast that the climatic conditions
in the far north have little relation to those of the extreme south. While
the heat is building up to breaking point on the plains, the people of
Ladakh, high in the Himalaya, will still be waiting for the snow to melt on
the high passes.
India has a three-season year - the hot, the wet and the cool. Generally,
the best time to visit is during winter (October to March) when it is
normally cooler in most parts of India.
 The Hot - The heat starts to build up on the northern plains of India from
around February, and by April or May it becomes unbearable. In central India
temperatures of 45°C and above are commonplace. It's dry and dusty and
everything is seen through a haze.
Later in May, the first signs of the monsoon are visible - high humidity,
violent electrical storms, short rainstorms and dust storms that turn day
into night. The hot and humid weather towards the end of the hot season can
leave you frazzled.
The hot season is the time to leave the plains and retreat into the hills,
and this is when Himalayan hill stations and states such as Sikkim are at
their best (and busiest). By early June, the snow on the passes into Ladakh
melts and the roads reopen.
 The Wet - When the monsoon finally arrives, it does not just suddenly
appear. After some advance warning, the rain comes in steadily, starting in
June in the extreme south and sweeping north to cover the whole country by
early July. The monsoon doesn't really cool things off; at first hot, dry,
dusty weather is simply traded for hot, humid, muddy conditions. Even so,
it's a great relief, not least for farmers who face their busiest time of
year as they prepare fields for planting. It doesn't rain solidly all day
during the monsoon, but it certainly rains every day; the water tends to
come down in buckets for a while followed by the sun, which can be quite
pleasant.
Although the monsoon brings life to India, it also brings its share of
death. Almost every year there are destructive floods and thousands of
people are made homeless. Rivers rise and sweep away road and railway lines
and many flight schedules are disrupted, making travel during this period
uncertain.
 The Cool - Finally, around November, the monsoon ends for most of the
country, and this is when most tourists visit. However, this is already too
late to visit Ladakh and Zanskar - May to October is the optimum period.
Generally, it's not too hot and not too cool (although in October it can
still be humid in some regions). The air is clear in the Himalaya, and the
mountains are clearly visible, at least early in the day. Delhi and other
northern cities become quite crisp at night in December and January. It
becomes downright cold in the far north, but snow brings India's small
skiing industry into action. So, a few places such as the Kullu Valley, have
a winter season too. In the far south, where it never gets cool, the
temperatures become comfortably warm rather than hot.
Andaman Islands - Sea breezes keep temperatures within the 23 to 31°C range
and the humidity at around 80% all year. The south-west monsoons come to the
islands between mid-May and June, and the north-east monsoons between
November and December. The best time to visit is between December and early
April. December and January are the high seasons.
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