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

Kota vs Lucknow weather matters to the many students and families from Uttar Pradesh who make the journey to Kota for coaching, and to travellers moving between the two. Look only at daytime highs and the cities seem almost alike for much of the year. The real differences are at night, in the depth of winter and in fog. Kota, in the Chambal valley of southeast Rajasthan, has warm nights and a fierce spring heat. Lucknow, in the Gangetic plain, has colder, foggier winters, more humid air and more thunderstorms.

This comparison uses the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Climatological Tables 1991-2020 for Kota (station 42452) and Lucknow (station 42369). They are long-term averages, not a forecast.

Month by month: Kota vs Lucknow

Month	Kota max / min	Lucknow max / min	Kota rain	Lucknow rain
January	23.2 / 11.2 C	21.4 / 7.8 C	5.7 mm	21.6 mm
February	27.1 / 14.3 C	26.2 / 11.0 C	8.2 mm	14.0 mm
March	33.3 / 19.8 C	32.2 / 15.4 C	2.7 mm	11.0 mm
April	39.3 / 25.7 C	38.2 / 21.0 C	8.4 mm	5.5 mm
May	42.6 / 30.0 C	39.9 / 24.8 C	9.7 mm	24.5 mm
June	40.3 / 29.5 C	38.3 / 26.7 C	80.3 mm	107.4 mm
July	34.3 / 27.0 C	34.2 / 26.0 C	296.7 mm	238.5 mm
August	32.2 / 25.8 C	33.4 / 25.6 C	269.6 mm	241.6 mm
September	33.9 / 25.5 C	33.4 / 24.4 C	108.7 mm	162.1 mm
October	34.6 / 22.3 C	32.8 / 19.5 C	18.9 mm	27.9 mm
November	30.1 / 16.9 C	29.0 / 13.3 C	3.8 mm	2.5 mm
December	25.7 / 12.6 C	23.6 / 8.9 C	3.6 mm	4.7 mm
Year	33.1 / 21.8 C	31.9 / 18.7 C	816.2 mm	861.4 mm

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

The night-time gap

The clearest pattern in the table is the minimum temperature column. Kota’s nights are warmer in every month, by about 3 to 5 degrees from October to April and by 5.2 degrees in May (30.0 C against 24.8 C). Daytime highs, by contrast, are within about 1 to 3 degrees for most of the year, and in July and August they are almost identical.

Warm nights shape how Kota feels. In April and May, rooms and walls stay hot after sunset, and sleep is harder without a fan or cooler. Students arriving from Lucknow in spring often notice the nights before the days. Our Kota heatwave guide and Kota weather by time of day explain the daily cycle.

Summer: hotter and drier in Kota

In May, Kota’s mean maximum is 42.6 C against 39.9 C at Lucknow, and the hottest day of an average May reaches about 46.1 C at Kota and 44.3 C at Lucknow. Kota’s air is drier, with afternoon relative humidity of 15 percent in May against 32 percent at Lucknow, and Kota gets fewer pre-monsoon showers. Lucknow records about 5 thunder days in May; Kota about 1.6. See Kota weather in May and Kota dust storm.

Monsoon: similar totals, different timing

Annual rainfall is close, 816.2 mm at Kota and 861.4 mm at Lucknow, and both get most of it from July to September. Lucknow tends to get the monsoon a little earlier, with 107.4 mm in June against 80.3 mm, and keeps it longer, with 162.1 mm in September against 108.7 mm. Kota’s rain is more concentrated in July and August, when it receives more than Lucknow. Thunderstorms are far more frequent at Lucknow, about 52 thunder days a year against about 22 at Kota. Read Kota monsoon and Kota thunderstorms.

Winter: Lucknow is colder and foggier

Winter brings the largest contrast in comfort. Lucknow’s January mean minimum is 7.8 C, against 11.2 C at Kota, and the coldest night of an average January drops to about 3.4 C at Lucknow and 7.4 C at Kota. Lucknow also gets more winter rain from western disturbances, 21.6 mm in January against 5.7 mm.

Fog is the defining difference. IMD’s tables give Lucknow about 52 fog days a year, with about 18 in January and 17 in December. Kota averages under 3. Lucknow’s morning humidity in January is 87 percent at 08:30 IST against 67 percent at Kota. For students, this means brighter, drier winter mornings in Kota, though still cool enough for a jacket. See Kota winter weather and Kota fog.

Travelling between Lucknow and Kota

• December and January: fog across Uttar Pradesh regularly delays trains, even when Kota is clear. Check running status on NTES before you leave, and avoid tight connections.
• April to June: travel overnight or early in the day, and carry water. Arriving in Kota on a May afternoon is a shock after Lucknow’s slightly milder heat.
• Monsoon: both states can see heavy rain; check IMD district warnings along the route. Our Kota travel weather guide has more detail.

What to pack for Kota if you are from Lucknow

You can pack slightly lighter for winter, since Kota’s nights are warmer, but keep a jacket for December and January mornings. For summer, bring more sun protection than at home: caps, light full-sleeve cotton and a water bottle. See what to pack for Kota and Kota weather for students.

Dust storms, visibility and rain days

Both cities have a dusty pre-monsoon season. IMD’s tables give Lucknow about 4.5 dust storm days a year, with 1.9 in May, against about 3.0 at Kota, where they peak in June. Squalls are rare in both, about 0.5 days a year at Lucknow and none recorded at Kota.

Winter mornings are where they part. Morning visibility falls below 1 km on about 33.8 days a year at Lucknow, mostly in December and January, against about 8.3 at Kota. Lucknow also records about 69.6 days a year with at least 0.3 mm of rain against 55.6 at Kota, including more light winter showers. For a student, this means fewer fog-delayed morning journeys in Kota than at home, but just as much need for a mask on dusty days in May and June. See Kota dust storm and Kota fog.

Summary

• October to March: both are pleasant by day; Kota has warmer nights and almost no fog.
• April to June: Kota is hotter, drier and warmer at night.
• July to September: similar heat; Lucknow is more humid and stormier, Kota wetter in mid-monsoon.

For more comparisons, see Kota vs Delhi weather and Kota vs Patna weather.

More comparisons: Kota vs Sikar weather, Kota vs Jodhpur weather and Kota vs Hyderabad weather. For daylight hours through the year see Kota sunrise and sunset times.