Climate of Goa

The climate of Goa can, in general terms, be summed up in one word: coastal. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. Being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, the climate of Goa is warm and humid for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, with day-time temperatures touching 35°C (95°F). To top it, the heat is coupled with high humidity. The monsoons arrive around early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Then Goa receives the full blast of the Indian monsoon with sudden downpours and tropical thunderstorms. It is during the monsoon that Goa is at its most beautiful – with greenery sprouting all around. Most of Goa's annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September. Goa Weather has a short cool season too which lasts between mid-December and February. These months are marked by cool nights with temperatures of about 20°C (68°F) and warm days of about 29°C (84°F). Humidity remains in moderate amounts. The nights are a few degrees cooler further inland, due to altitudinal gradation.

There are no extremes in temperature and no clear demarcations from one season to the other except for the monsoon. The monsoons are the main feature of the climate of Goa. The average rainfall is approximately 325cms, the average daily hours of sunshine is nine to ten hours in summer and three to five hours during the monsoon. During the two months preceding the onset of the monsoon the humidity increases dramatically, and the normally clear skies become hazy and then cloudy. During the monsoon, 250cm to 300cm of rain is normal, although in the Western Ghats the downpour is considerably high than on the coast. Once the monsoon has run its course the skies clear and the weather becomes pleasant. For four to five months from October through February the weather in Goa is near perfect-cloudless blue skies, warm but not oppressively hot days, and calm seas. By mid-March the humidity starts to rise as the monsoon begins to approach again

Temperature and Rainfall in Goa:

Monsoon: July to End September (26 inches)
Winter: Late November to Mid-February (Min. 3° C - Max. 11° C)
Summer: Mid-March to End of June (Min. 25° C - Max. 45° C)