Varkala weather in May
May in Varkala: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — a gamble, with 26 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Varkala · #1174 of 1413 destinations to visit in May · comfort 61/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 30°C
- Nights
- 25°C
- Wet days
- 26
- Sun
- 9 h
- Humidity
- 84%
- Daylight
- 13 h

Traveller notes on Varkala in May
Other months in Varkala
Regulars are specific hotels and restaurants across the region reopen for the season right around the end of August, this month also capturing the Onam festival in its first ten days for anyone whose trip lines up. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 28C reading as a scorching 33C, over 24C nights feeling 28C, with a substantial 190.9mm of rain across 23.1 days and humidity at 87 percent. Regulars are honest experiences genuinely vary, most describing mostly sunny days with random afternoon showers while one visitor's own trip turned out very wet with hardly a dry day the whole time. The sea stays genuinely rough for most of the month, not pleasant for swimming regardless of how sunny a given day looks. The sea sits at 27.2C. The record: 9.5 hours of sun, a 18.5 kph wind and AQI 39.
Regulars are consistent that this month runs genuinely hot and humid, with the standard advice built around timing rather than avoidance: resort pools or the sea for relief during the worst of it, roughly noon to 3pm, with sightseeing shifted to the cooler hours either side. Our row backs the intensity directly, 32C reading as a real 38C at 78 percent humidity, over 25.5C nights, with 91.9mm of rain across 17.2 days. Regulars who've returned multiple Aprils describe the heat as real but not a dealbreaker, with air-conditioned accommodation making the difference between an uncomfortable trip and a manageable one. The sea holds a very warm 30.1C. The record: 11 hours of sun, a 14.8 kph wind and AQI 74.
December opens the Kerala dry season and regulars put November to February down as the good stretch, pleasant and clear, with at least one visitor calling it remarkably hot rather than pleasant. Our row leans their way: 29.7C reading as 34C over nights that stay at 23.5C. The advice worth carrying is about the water rather than the sky. The sea off this cliff is rough at the best of times and never really calm, rain or no rain, so swimming means staying inside the area the lifeguards have flagged. Rain is not the issue in any case - 77.3mm across 8.6 days. The record: humidity 77 percent, 9.8 hours of sun, a 29.2C sea and AQI 70, the figure here most worth checking before a long stay.
March closes the Kerala season - regulars say come between November and February or March, because April is another thing entirely and the heat runs March to May. Our row reads 32.8C as 38C at 73 percent humidity, one of the hottest figures in this collection, over nights of 24.8C that feel like 29C. Their practical rule is a time of day rather than a packing list: after about eleven in the morning it is hot enough that even a short walk is work. Being on the coast softens it compared with inland Kochi, and the cliff catches a slight breeze, which is why that is where everyone sits. The sea offers no relief at 29.2C. The record: 34.2mm across 9.5 precipitation days, 11.1 hours of sun, a 15.7 kph wind and AQI 81.
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Varkala climate normals — May
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Varkala in May
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusySummer vacation (north & east) in India(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Varkala's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherVarkala's weather peaks January–March, best around February.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Varkala in May
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Cliff shuts for the monsoon
25 May – 15 Sep · usuallyOff-season shutdownClosuresMost of the North Cliff strip boards up for the season and the laterite edge loses another metre or two to the rain. The ayurveda places and the temple town below carry on regardless.
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk26 rainy days and about 306 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Varkala — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Varkala?
Varkala in May — FAQ
- Is May a good time to visit Varkala?
- May in Varkala: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — a gamble, with 26 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Varkala on SeasonMap's comfort score (61/100).
- What is the weather like in Varkala in May?
- In May, Varkala averages a daily high of 30°C and a low of 25.4°C, with about 306.3 mm of rain over roughly 26.4 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Varkala in May?
- Varkala has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 58 in May.
Within 300 km: Alleppey's Pre-monsoon low season around 1 Apr – 31 May.