Amritsar City Guide
- Climate
- The climate of the district is characterized by general dryness except in the brief south - west monsoon season, a hot summer and bracing winter . The year may be divided in four seasons. The cold season is from November to February . The period from March to June is the hot season. The south-west monsoon season is from about the beginning of July to the first week of September. The succeeding period lasting till the beginning of November is the post-monsoon or transition period.
- Rainfall
- The average annual rainfall in the district is 541.9mm.The rainfall in the district increases generally from the south-west towards the north-east and varies from 435.5 mm to 591.7 mm. About 74 per cent of the annual normal rainfall in the district is received during the period June to September and as much as about 13 per cent of the annual rainfall occurs during the period December to February .On an average, there are 30 rainy days (i.e. days with rainfall of 2.5mm or more)in a year in the district.
The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours recorded at any station in the district was 457.2 mm on 5 October 1955 . - Temperature
- From about the end of March, temperatures increase steadily till June which is the hottest month with mean daily minimum at 26.2c.The heat during the summer is intense and the hot dust laden winds which blow during the afternoons add to the discomfort .with the onset of the monsoon in the district by about the end of June or the beginning of July, there is appreciable drop in the day temperature. The nights are, however as warm during the monsoon as in summer and due to the increased moisture in the monsoon air, the weather is often oppressive. After the withdrawal of the monsoon early in September while the day temperatures remain as in the monsoon season, nights become progressively cooler. From October, there is a rapid drop in the temperatures. January is generally the coldest month with the mean daily maximum at 4.5c. During the cold season, the district is affected by cold waves in the rear of passing western disturbances and the minimum temperature occasionally drops down to a degree or two below the freezing point of water. Frosts are common during the cold season.
- Humidity
- Relative humidity is generally high in the mornings, exceeding 70 per cent except during the summer season when it is less than 50 per cent. The humidity is comparatively less in the afternoons. The driest part of the year is the summer season when the relative humidity in the afternoons is about 25 per cent or less.
- Cloudiness
- The skies are generally partly to heavily clouded and occasionally overcast during the monsoon and for brief spells of a day or two in association with passing western disturbances during the cold season .During the rest of the year, the skies are mostly clear or lightly clouded.
- Winds
- Winds are generally light with some strengthening in the summer and early part of the monsoon season. In the post-monsoon and cold season, winds are light and variable in direction in the morning and mostly from the west or north-west in the afternoons. In April and May, winds are mainly from direction between north-west and north-east in the mornings and between west and north-east in the afternoons. By June, easterlies and south - easterlies also blow and in the south-west monsoon season. winds are more commonly from directions between north-east and south-east.