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

Kota vs Jodhpur weather is really a comparison of two Rajasthans. Kota lies in the Hadoti region in the south-east of the state, on the Chambal river, where the monsoon arrives with some force. Jodhpur sits on the eastern edge of the Thar Desert in the west, where rain is scarce and the air is dry for most of the year. Both cities are hot, but they are hot in different ways and at slightly different times of year. Travellers combining the two, families visiting students, and anyone moving between them for work will find the differences useful.

This comparison uses the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Climatological Tables 1991-2020 for Kota (station 42452) and Jodhpur (station 42339), from IMD’s Data Service Portal. They are long-term averages, not a forecast. For current conditions in Kota see Kota weather today.

Month by month: Kota vs Jodhpur

Month	Kota max / min	Jodhpur max / min	Kota rain	Jodhpur rain
January	23.2 / 11.2 C	25.1 / 9.6 C	5.7 mm	4.1 mm
February	27.1 / 14.3 C	28.4 / 12.5 C	8.2 mm	4.9 mm
March	33.3 / 19.8 C	33.9 / 17.9 C	2.7 mm	3.7 mm
April	39.3 / 25.7 C	38.7 / 23.4 C	8.4 mm	6.3 mm
May	42.6 / 30.0 C	41.2 / 27.6 C	9.7 mm	12.9 mm
June	40.3 / 29.5 C	40.0 / 28.5 C	80.3 mm	42.1 mm
July	34.3 / 27.0 C	36.0 / 27.1 C	296.7 mm	119.7 mm
August	32.2 / 25.8 C	33.8 / 25.8 C	269.6 mm	113.5 mm
September	33.9 / 25.5 C	35.2 / 24.7 C	108.7 mm	55.5 mm
October	34.6 / 22.3 C	36.1 / 20.2 C	18.9 mm	6.0 mm
November	30.1 / 16.9 C	31.8 / 15.1 C	3.8 mm	0.4 mm
December	25.7 / 12.6 C	27.5 / 11.1 C	3.6 mm	1.1 mm
Year	33.1 / 21.8 C	34.0 / 20.4 C	816.2 mm	370.2 mm

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

Winter: warmer afternoons in Jodhpur, colder nights

Desert air heats and cools quickly, and the winter numbers show it. Jodhpur’s January afternoons average 25.1 C, almost two degrees warmer than Kota’s 23.2 C, yet its January nights average 9.6 C against 11.2 C at Kota. The daily swing in January is about 15.5 degrees at Jodhpur and 12 degrees at Kota. The coldest night of an average year is about 5.6 C at Jodhpur and 8.1 C at Kota.

The air is drier too. In January the relative humidity at 17:30 IST averages 28 percent at Jodhpur against 40 percent at Kota. Fog is rare in both, about 0.9 days a year at Jodhpur and 2.9 at Kota, though winter mist over the Chambal is a familiar sight on Kota mornings. In practice: warm afternoons for sightseeing in both cities, with a heavier layer needed for Jodhpur’s early mornings and late evenings. See Kota winter weather and Kota fog.

Spring and early summer: Kota is hotter

From April to June, Kota is the hotter city. Its May mean maximum is 42.6 C against 41.2 C at Jodhpur, and the night gap is wider: 30.0 C against 27.6 C. The hottest day of an average year reaches about 45.8 C at Kota and 45.1 C at Jodhpur. Both cities can see extreme heatwaves; the difference is that Kota’s nights give less relief, which is what makes its pre-monsoon weeks so tiring.

Both are very dry before the monsoon. In April the 17:30 relative humidity averages 13 percent at Kota and 16 percent at Jodhpur. Dust storms are part of the season in both: IMD’s tables give about 4.1 dust storm days a year at Jodhpur, peaking in June, and about 3.0 at Kota, also peaking in June. For Kota’s version of the season, see Kota heatwave, Kota weather in May and Kota dust storm.

Monsoon: Kota is much wetter, Jodhpur hotter

The monsoon is where the two cities part company. Kota receives 296.7 mm in July and 269.6 mm in August; Jodhpur receives 119.7 mm and 113.5 mm. Over the year Kota averages about 38.6 rainy days and Jodhpur about 20.9. Counting every day with at least 0.3 mm, the totals are 55.6 at Kota and 31.7 at Jodhpur.

Less cloud and less rain mean Jodhpur stays hotter in the monsoon months: 36.0 C against 34.3 C in July and 35.2 C against 33.9 C in September. Nights are almost the same in both cities. Kota’s monsoon brings the river to life and the Chambal gorge turns green, but it also brings waterlogging and, in heavy years, barrage releases. Read Kota monsoon and Kota barrage flood season.

Autumn: Jodhpur stays hot for longer

After the monsoon withdraws, Jodhpur heats up again faster. October’s mean maximum is 36.1 C at Jodhpur against 34.6 C at Kota, and November’s 31.8 C against 30.1 C. Nights cool earlier at Jodhpur: 20.2 C against 22.3 C in October. For travellers this means October afternoons in Jodhpur’s open forts and stepwells can still be very warm, while Kota’s riverfront evenings start to feel pleasant. See Kota weather in October and Kota weather in November.

Humidity and comfort through the year

Jodhpur’s air is drier than Kota’s for most of the year, but the gap is smaller than many expect. The annual mean relative humidity is 56 percent at 08:30 IST and 33 percent at 17:30 at Jodhpur, against 55 and 36 percent at Kota. The difference shows most in winter afternoons (28 percent at Jodhpur in January, 40 percent at Kota) and in the monsoon, when Kota’s heavier rain keeps its air moister for longer: August evenings average 69 percent at Kota and 60 percent at Jodhpur.

For comfort this means Kota’s monsoon is the muggier of the two, while Jodhpur’s winter and post-monsoon air feels crisper and dries skin faster. Both cities have very dry air from March to May. See Kota humidity and Kota wet bulb temperature.

Thunder, wind and clear skies

Thunder days are similar, about 23.5 a year at Jodhpur and 21.7 at Kota. Kota is windier, with an annual mean wind speed of 6.3 km/h against 4.5 km/h, and much windier in June, 11.1 km/h against 7.6 km/h. Kota also has more clear mornings, about 186 days a year with no cloud at 08:30 IST against 145 at Jodhpur. More detail is in Kota thunderstorms, Kota wind and Kota cloud cover.

Planning a trip that includes both cities

• November to February: the best window for both. Dry, sunny days; pack a warm layer for evenings, especially in Jodhpur.
• March and October: manageable with early starts. Afternoons are hot in both, a little more so in Jodhpur in October.
• April to June: very hot in both; Kota’s nights are worse. Keep outdoor sightseeing to the first hours after sunrise and the evening. Our Kota sunrise and sunset times help with timing.
• July to September: Kota is green and wet, Jodhpur hot and only occasionally rainy. Allow for road disruption on rainy days.

Use best time to visit Kota and what to pack for Kota for the Kota leg. For other comparisons within Rajasthan see Kota vs Jaipur weather, Kota vs Udaipur weather and Kota vs Sikar weather.