The climate of the hill stations of India is one of the best climates found anywhere else in the world with its moderate temperature and abundant rainfall.

In India, the highlands are found mainly in the north and north-west of the country, but some prominent hilly areas are also found in the north-east and south of India.

The Northern Highlands

These include the highlands of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttrakhand. Of these, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh is the best known and offers the best climate of all. It does not have the extremes of summer or winter. The midday thermometer in the warmest month, as a rule, does not cross 80 F and nights are a pleasant 60 F. Winters are also fairly mild for their elevation with the coldest month registering 40 F although snow falls from December to February.

The rain is abundant; especially in the monsoon season when up to 20 inches can fall in a single month. The western disturbance is responsible for winter rain, with no month recording less than 2 inches of precipitation.

The Northeast Highlands

These include Shillong, Cherrapunji and Darjeeling. Of these, Darjeeling has the best climate of all. It has moderate summers and cool to cold winters. The rainfall is sufficient to maintain its world famous tea plantation. The amazing thing about Darjeeling is that even though it is in an area of ​​very heavy rainfall, the rain here is much more tolerable than Cherrapunji, where for weeks or months at a time exceptionally heavy rain makes any tourist activity almost impossible.

The Southern Highlands

These include those located in the Western Ghats of which Mahabaleshwar is a prominent example and others located in the far south in the Nilgiri Hills of which Oooty is the best example. Oooty is world famous for its constantly cool average temperature of around 60-65 F in every month and delightfully refreshing air. Rainfall is abundant to sustain its thick forests. It was one of the British’s favorite I hills stations during the colonial era.

In short, the Indian highland climate is well known for its cool temperatures and abundant rainfall throughout the year. This is a stark contrast to the scorching heat of the North Indian plains during the pre-monsoon months and many people flock to these places every tear to enjoy the cool weather.