Kota vs Delhi weather: a month-by-month comparison

Kota vs Delhi weather is a practical question for thousands of families. Kota’s coaching institutes draw students from Delhi and the National Capital Region, and many parents shuttle between the two cities by train or road. The cities are about a night’s train journey apart, yet their climates differ more than people expect. Kota, on the Chambal plains of southeast Rajasthan, is hotter for most of the year and has milder winters. Delhi has colder winter nights, far more fog and more winter rain.

This comparison uses the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Climatological Tables 1991-2020 for Kota (station 42452) and New Delhi (Safdarjung) (station 42182), the station most often quoted for Delhi. These are long-term averages, not a forecast; for today’s conditions in Kota see Kota weather today.

Month by month: Kota vs Delhi

Month	Kota max / min	Delhi max / min	Kota rain	Delhi rain
January	23.2 / 11.2 C	20.1 / 7.5 C	5.7 mm	19.2 mm
February	27.1 / 14.3 C	24.2 / 10.6 C	8.2 mm	21.5 mm
March	33.3 / 19.8 C	29.9 / 15.6 C	2.7 mm	19.1 mm
April	39.3 / 25.7 C	36.5 / 21.3 C	8.4 mm	12.5 mm
May	42.6 / 30.0 C	39.9 / 25.8 C	9.7 mm	29.4 mm
June	40.3 / 29.5 C	39.0 / 27.7 C	80.3 mm	80.6 mm
July	34.3 / 27.0 C	35.6 / 27.5 C	296.7 mm	195.8 mm
August	32.2 / 25.8 C	34.2 / 26.7 C	269.6 mm	226.8 mm
September	33.9 / 25.5 C	34.1 / 25.0 C	108.7 mm	128.0 mm
October	34.6 / 22.3 C	33.0 / 19.5 C	18.9 mm	14.1 mm
November	30.1 / 16.9 C	28.4 / 13.0 C	3.8 mm	4.1 mm
December	25.7 / 12.6 C	22.8 / 8.4 C	3.6 mm	8.0 mm
Year	33.1 / 21.8 C	31.4 / 18.9 C	816.2 mm	758.9 mm

Max and min are IMD’s mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures; rain is the mean monthly total.

Summer: Kota is hotter, especially at night

From March to May, Kota runs about 3 degrees hotter than Delhi by day and about 4 degrees warmer at night. In May, Kota’s mean maximum is 42.6 C against 39.9 C at Safdarjung, and its mean minimum is 30.0 C against 25.8 C. The hottest day of an average May reaches about 46.1 C at Kota and 44.3 C at Safdarjung. Delhi has its share of severe heatwaves, but Kota’s summer is longer and its nights give less relief. Students moving from Delhi in April or May should expect a harder adjustment. See Kota heatwave and Kota weather in May.

Monsoon: similar heat, Kota wetter

The monsoon usually reaches Kota and Delhi at a broadly similar time, around late June, though it varies from year to year. In July and August Delhi’s days are slightly hotter, 35.6 C against 34.3 C in July, and nights are similar. Kota gets more rain: 296.7 mm in July against 195.8 mm at Safdarjung. Annual rainy days are close, about 38.6 at Kota and 40.6 at Delhi, so Kota’s rain tends to come in heavier bursts. Delhi records about twice as many thunder days in a year, 43 against about 22 at Kota. See Kota monsoon and Kota thunderstorms.

Winter: Delhi is colder and foggier

Winter is where Delhi and Kota differ most. Delhi’s January mean minimum is 7.5 C, nearly 4 degrees colder than Kota’s 11.2 C, and its days are cooler too, 20.1 C against 23.2 C. The coldest night of an average January is about 3.5 C at Safdarjung and 7.4 C at Kota.

Fog is the headline difference. IMD’s tables give Safdarjung about 72 fog days a year, with about 22 in January and 19 in December. Kota averages fewer than 3 fog days a year. Morning humidity tells the same story: 88 percent at Safdarjung at 08:30 in January against 67 percent at Kota. Delhi also gets more winter rain from western disturbances, about 19 to 22 mm a month from January to March against under 10 mm at Kota. Read Kota winter weather and Kota fog.

Travelling between Delhi and Kota

• Winter (December to February): fog over Delhi and the plains of north India often delays trains and flights, even when Kota itself is clear. Check running status on NTES before leaving for the station, and keep warm layers for early arrivals. Our Kota travel weather guide has more.
• Summer (April to June): travel early in the day or overnight. Arriving in Kota in the afternoon in May means stepping into some of the hottest weather in the country.
• Monsoon (July to September): heavy rain can disrupt road travel and occasionally rail. Watch IMD warnings for both Rajasthan and Delhi.
• Packing: pack one fewer warm layer for Kota than for Delhi in winter, and more sun protection for Kota in spring. See what to pack for Kota.

Air quality

Both cities can have poor air in winter, when calm, cool mornings trap smoke and dust. Delhi’s winter pollution episodes are well known; Kota also has bad days, especially around festivals. Check the CPCB index for each city before outdoor exercise. See Kota air quality.

Squalls, dust and poor visibility

The station tables also count the days with squalls, dust storms and very poor visibility, and here Delhi stands out. Safdarjung records about 11.5 squall days a year, with 3.6 in May and 2.7 in June, the sudden violent gusts that come with pre-monsoon storms. Kota’s table records none, although its thunderstorms can still bring strong gusts. Dust storm days are similar, about 3.3 a year at Delhi and 3.0 at Kota, peaking in May at Delhi and June at Kota.

Visibility shows the fog gap again. Morning visibility falls below 1 km on about 58.6 days a year at Safdarjung against about 8.3 at Kota, and even at 17:30 IST Delhi has about 12.5 such days against fewer than one at Kota. Delhi also has more days with light rain: about 62.9 days a year with at least 0.3 mm against 55.6 at Kota, thanks to its winter showers. See Kota dust storm and Kota weather station for what these counts mean.

Which city is more comfortable?

• October to March: both are pleasant by day. Kota is warmer and clearer, Delhi colder and foggier at night and in the morning.
• April to June: both are very hot; Kota is hotter, day and night.
• July to September: similar heat and humidity, with heavier rain bursts at Kota.

For other comparisons see Kota vs Jaipur weather and Kota vs Lucknow weather, and for students settling in, Kota weather for students.

More comparisons, including cities students often move from: Kota vs Sikar weather, Kota vs Mumbai weather and Kota vs Hyderabad weather. For the light at each end of the day, see Kota sunrise and sunset times.