A semi-desert climate
The majority of Rajasthan is subject to a semi-desert climate. It is characterized by low rainfall and high temperatures. Summer is from March to June and temperatures become stifling, exceeding 40° during the day, with nights rarely going under 30°. This is followed by two months of monsoon, in July and August, when it can rain for several days in a row. The roads are flooded and travel becomes difficult. The average rainfall during this period is over 200 mm. In Jaisalmer, rainfall is rare. Summer drags on, and most hotels close between April and September. Winter is short in this part of the country. Temperatures cool down significantly from December, and January and February are the coldest months. The thermometer oscillates between 18° during the day and 5° at night. In cold years, it can freeze in Mount Abu, but this remains an exception. The eastern part of the Aravalli sees more precipitation and has slightly warmer temperatures, especially in summer. The thermometer tops out at 40°, also with a small day/night amplitude. The summer monsoon is more important and regular. The region also experiences a small winter monsoon, with heavy showers in February. In Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, the average annual temperature is 31.9°C during the day and 18.8°C at night.
The climate of Delhi
The climate of the Indian capital is slightly different from that of Rajasthan. The trend is the same, with cool winters, a hot summer and a monsoon season from June to August. In winter, between December and February, the city is regularly shrouded in thick fog. Flights are regularly delayed or cancelled. Temperatures are colder than in Rajasthan and it can freeze at night. From March onwards, temperatures rise rapidly to almost 45° from April onwards. The arrival of the monsoon cleans the air of its dust and brings down the thermometer slightly, but the humidity then falls on the city. From October onwards, the temperatures become pleasant again. But this is also the time when farmers in Haryana and Punjab slash and burn, and Delhi is shrouded in a cloud of extremely irritating pollution.
A climate that's going crazy
Every year, Rajasthan breaks new temperature records. Global warming had devastating effects in 2022, with a heat wave unprecedented in its temperature and duration. The phenomenon began on March 11 and was still not over by May. Delhi recorded a record temperature of 49.2° on May 15, 2022, while much of Rajasthan spent two months with more than 45° during the day. The absolute record heat is still held by the small town of Churu in Shekhawati with a temperature of 50.8° reached in June 2019.
