Best time to visit Chennai, India

Our verdict

The best time to visit Chennai is October-November

While Chennai is a popular destination to visit all year round, October-November is the ideal time to go due to a number of factors such as the climate, cost of travel and accommodation, as well as avoiding peak holiday periods.

In the summer months, temperatures tend to get to a maximum of around 36℃ (97℉). In the winter, temperatures can get down to 23℃ (73℉) around January.

If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Chennai, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. November sees the most amount of rain in a month if you’re ok with chancing getting drenched, so if you’re looking to stay dry, visit in February instead.

Learn everything you need to know to help you decide when to go to Chennai below, and don’t forget to use the awesome travel tools we know and love to help you find the best deals and make booking your vacation a breeze!

Warmest month

May

Least rainfall

February

Most daylight

May

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Chennai seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Chennai as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Chennai is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Chennai

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Chennai for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Chennai climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Chennai for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Chennai in January

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 11mm (0") over 6 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in January, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Chennai in February

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (83℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 3 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in February, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Chennai in March

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (88℉)
  • Average low temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 27 days
  • Average rainfall: 7mm (0") over 4 days
27 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in March, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in April

  • Average temperature: 30℃ (86℉)
  • Average high temperature: 33℃ (91℉)
  • Average low temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 10mm (0") over 4 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in April, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in May

  • Average temperature: 32℃ (90℉)
  • Average high temperature: 35℃ (95℉)
  • Average low temperature: 30℃ (85℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 23mm (1") over 6 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in May, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in June

  • Average temperature: 32℃ (89℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average humidity: 63%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 41mm (2") over 16 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
16 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in June, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in July

  • Average temperature: 31℃ (87℉)
  • Average high temperature: 33℃ (91℉)
  • Average low temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average humidity: 65%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 50mm (2") over 17 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in July, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in August

  • Average temperature: 30℃ (86℉)
  • Average high temperature: 32℃ (90℉)
  • Average low temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average humidity: 69%
  • Average sunny days: 10 days
  • Average rainfall: 92mm (4") over 20 days
10 days
of pure sunshine
20 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in August, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in September

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average high temperature: 32℃ (89℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 98mm (4") over 23 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
23 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in September, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.

Chennai in October

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (88℉)
  • Average low temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 8 days
  • Average rainfall: 144mm (6") over 22 days
8 days
of pure sunshine
22 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Chennai in November

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average low temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 9 days
  • Average rainfall: 213mm (8") over 18 days
9 days
of pure sunshine
18 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in November, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Chennai in December

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 102mm (4") over 15 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Chennai in December, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Chennai is usually May, where temperatures tend to rise to around 35℃ (95℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Chennai is generally around February. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in February first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Chennai is generally around November, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of November too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Chennai, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in May are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Chennai map