Hot on its heels comes May which turns Delhi into a scalding charcoal tandoor (a large round clay oven). Thanks to its distance from the sea, Delhi bears the brunt of an extreme type of continental climate. The summer consequently is as hot as the winter is cold. The mercury, itself in danger of dehydration, soars to 47*C. One has to be carefully prepared before venturing out, as heat strokes and dehydration are the order of the day. Violent dust storms and hot winds – locally dubbed loo – are part and parcel of the hot and dry Delhi summer.

Summers are long, from early April to October, with the monsoon season in between. New Delhi is always very hot and humid during the summer months. During this period, the temperature ranges from 25°C to 46°C and the heat wave experienced during the months of May and June makes matters worse. During the summer season, the city faces extreme power and water shortages. The rising mercury may also leave people battling a severe power crisis with the peak demand for power rising with the mercury. If Delhiites are fortunate, Western disturbances may bring showers in May, keeping the mercury at low levels of 39 degree Celsius. During peak summer many will leave Delhi to cooler regions. Many people die every year owing to the summer heat wave. Therefore, it is advisable to take necessary precautions while traveling to New Delhi during the summer months.

The cruel onslaught of summer is cut short with the advent of the monsoon (moisture bearing winds) in early July. The monsoon, of course, is never known to have arrived when it is expected – it’s either late, early or whimsically decides to just skip Delhi. It provides the city much-needed succor. The parched ground, plants, animals and people greedily soak up the moisture for the next two months as the temperature dips down to a bearable 30-something. September though hot, is not dry but humid. In October the days become cooler and with November Delhi is very much in the arms of winter again.

The city is best in winter and in its fleeting spring. About 160 kilometres south of the Himalayas Delhi feels every chilly blast that lashes the snowcapped mountains. While heat-oriented Delhiites find the winter a bit trying, foreigners seem to revel in temperatures ranging from 3*C to 21*C. The season is marked with light rainfall, frosty winds and an all-enveloping fog.

Winter starts in November and peaks in January. During winter, the temperature mainly hovers between 2°C to 5°C, though it must be mentioned that there have been instances when the temperature has dropped even lower up to 0.2°C. At the same time, the cold wave from the Himalayan region also makes it very chilly in Delhi during the winter months. Delhi is notorious for its heavy fog during the winter season. In December, reduced visibility leads to disruption of road, air and rail.

Traffic Dense fog in the mornings may play havoc with air and rail services as poor visibility will lead to diversion of some flights, delay of several flights and rescheduling and cancellation of many trains.. Thick fog in the mornings makes the landing as well as take off of the planes impossible.

But the cold months of December-February soon give way to the balmy month of March. Birds sing out a full-throated welcome to Basant Bahar (the bloom of spring) as fresh grass and blossoms burst forth and trees sprout shiny new coats. Sometimes, when Delhiites are in luck, the spring gets an extra lease of life and tarries till mid-April.

Delhi does not enjoy long heavy rains. Usually it gets rains due to the Western disturbances in the months July and August. From August to November the weather is fine with moderate temperature. Delhi wears a festive look between February and April. These months come under spring and Delhi will be in full bloom.

The beautiful and enchanting Mughal Gardens in the Rashtrapati Bhavan is opened to the public between mid- February and mid-March. Various flower shows conducted by different organizations are really a feast for the eyes.

Extreme temperatures range from -0.6 °C (30.9 °F) to 47 °C (116.6 °F). The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 °C to 33 °C (58 °F to 92 °F). The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August. The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.

The weather in Delhi is very pleasant during the months of September to November and February to April. Generally speaking, the best time to travel to New Delhi is between September and April. This is the time when the New Delhi weather conditions are very favorable to visitors.