India
Kolkata in May
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Very hot, humid and some showers. Watch for hazy air and tropical cyclone & extreme heat risk.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics · N95 mask for hazy days
Why May scores 6.1What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.9
- !Very hot (36°C highs / 27°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.6°C)
- !Wet: ~119 mm rain, ~3 heavy-rain days
- Air quality5.0
- !Unhealthy for sensitive groups (PM2.5 ~41 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards7.0
- !Tropical cyclone: Peak of the North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- !Extreme heat: Average daily high 36°C
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Apr | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.1 Fair | 7.7 Very good |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | 🔥 Hot dry season |
| High / low | 36° / 27° | 35° / 26° |
| Rain | 119 mm | 55 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 20° |
| PM2.5 | 41 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Kolkata weather-station normals. Rainfall: Kolkata weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Eid al-Adha 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Buddha Purnima (20 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore KolkataEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyWest Bengal's capital on the Hooghly River, visited for colonial architecture, Bengali food and culture, and its huge Durga Puja festival.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Durga PujaDate variesHindu calendar, usually late September or October
Thousands of themed pavilions house Durga idols; the city celebrates for days.
Why go: Streets are packed late into the night; traffic is very slow.
Where: Citywide pandals
Kali Puja and DiwaliDate variesHindu calendar, usually October or November
Kali is worshipped at night with lamps and fireworks.
Why go: Expect noise and smoke from fireworks.
Where: Citywide, especially Kalighat
Christmas on Park StreetDate variesLate December
The street is lit up with decorations and festive events.
Why go: Very crowded on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Where: Park Street
Victoria Memorial
A white marble museum and memorial set in large gardens.
Howrah Bridge
The landmark cantilever bridge over the Hooghly.
💡 The flower market at Mullick Ghat beneath it is busiest early in the morning.
Kumartuli
The potters' quarter where clay idols for festivals are made.
💡 Most active in the weeks before Durga Puja.
Dakshineswar Kali Temple
A riverside temple associated with Ramakrishna.
College Street
A street lined with second-hand bookstalls and the historic Indian Coffee House.
Indian Museum
India's oldest museum, with large archaeological and natural history collections.
Kathi roll
Paratha wrapped around skewered meat or egg.
💡 Park Street area and roll shops across the city
Mishti doi and rosogolla
Sweet yoghurt and syrupy cheese balls, Bengal's signature sweets.
💡 Sweet shops everywhere
Kolkata biryani
Biryani that includes a potato and egg.
💡 Biryani restaurants
Phuchka
Crisp hollow shells filled with spiced potato and tamarind water.
💡 Street stalls
Macher jhol and shorshe ilish
Fish curries; hilsa in mustard sauce is a prized seasonal dish.
💡 Bengali restaurants
Sweets
Packaged sandesh and rosogolla.
💡 Established sweet shops
Bengal handloom sarees
Tant and other handwoven cottons.
💡 Gariahat market and handloom shops
Terracotta and clay figures
Craft figurines in Bengali folk style.
💡 Craft shops and Kumartuli
Darjeeling tea
Tea from the West Bengal hills.
💡 Tea shops in the city centre