Climate of Uttar Pradesh

Parts of western Uttar Pradesh consist of a hot semi-arid climate (BSh).

The uniformity of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain covering most of the state causes it to have a predominantly single climate pattern with minor regional variations.

With temperatures fluctuating from 0 °C or 32 °F to 50 °C or 122 °F in several parts of the state and unpredictable rains, the summers are extremely hot, the winters are cold, and the rainy season can be either very wet or very dry.

[1] However, based on the Köppen climate classification, it can be classified mostly as humid subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) type with parts of western Uttar Pradesh as semi-arid hot (BSh).

[3][4] The retreating monsoon season, although present generally in India, has a very negligible effect in Uttar Pradesh and only occasional mild showers are experienced in winter.

In 2007, a heat wave struck Uttar Pradesh, with Banda district with 45.5 °C or 113.9 °F the hottest in the state for several days.

[11] In recent years, the 2007–2008 winter caused a string of cold-related deaths[12] with temperatures as low as 2.8 °C or 37.0 °F in the city of Meerut.

[4] Primarily a summer phenomenon, the Bay of Bengal branch of the Indian Monsoon is the major bearer of rain in most parts of Uttar Pradesh.

[4] Given that most of this rainfall is concentrated in the four months of the monsoon season, excess rain can lead to floods and a shortage to droughts.

Floods are a known hazard of Uttar Pradesh due to overflowing of its main rivers like Ganges, Yamuna, Ramganga, Gomti, Sharda, Ghaghra, Rapti, and Gandak.

[16][17] Shortages of rain during the highly variable monsoon season can cause droughts, leading to deaths and property loss.