India Climate
Top 5 Cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata
This month in numbers
India experienced its 3rd warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 24.81°C, marking an anomaly of +1.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. April 2026 alone was the 15th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 28.51°C, an anomaly of +0.8°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, and the February–April period was also the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months have seen India trending significantly warmer, with the February–April period ranking as the 3rd warmest in 86 years of records. This continues a pattern of elevated temperatures, with 2025 being the 2nd warmest year on record for India. The country's 1-month anomaly for April places it 190th out of 234 regions, while its 3-month anomaly ranks 175th. India has also experienced a notable increase in wildfire activity, with incidents up 80% in early 2026 compared to the past decade, and fire intensity almost 50% hotter than in 2024. A single wildfire event was recorded between May 4 and May 16, representing 100% of the annual total for India, indicating an unusual concentration of such events.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures in India are largely driven by human-induced climate change, which has made heatwave conditions up to 2°C warmer than in the past. The effect is also contributing to higher temperatures in cities, where concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit heat. A significant factor influencing the upcoming months is the developing El Niño, which is forecast to become a strong event by June–July, with a high probability of continuing through August–September–October. Historically, El Niño events are associated with warmer and drier conditions in India, often leading to a weaker southwest summer monsoon and an increased risk of drought. This year's pre-monsoon period has already seen severe heatwaves, with temperatures widely exceeding 40°C in late April, impacting millions of people and economic activity.
Looking ahead
The strong El Niño event forecast to develop in the coming months suggests a high probability of a weaker than normal southwest monsoon for India, increasing the risk of drought conditions and further heat stress.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for India
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in India changing?
India is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for India come from?
Climate data for India comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the India climate data cover?
The India climate profile covers Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and surrounding areas. Extreme heat, monsoon shifts and the fastest-growing energy market
How often is the India climate update refreshed?
The India climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.