BharatSangraha

Kochi & Central Kerala · Western Coastal Strip

Terrain and eco-zones

Tropical monsoon. Kerala receives two monsoons — the southwest (Edavappathi, June to September) and the northeast (Thulavarsham, October to November) — and averages roughly 3,000 mm of rain a year, among the highest in India outside the northeast. The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala around 1 June is treated as the official start of the Indian monsoon.

Landforms

Coastal lowland with lagoons and sandbarsLaterite midland hills (rubber, pepper, cashew)Western Ghats highland (tea, cardamom, coffee)Anamudi, 2,695 m — the highest peak in the Western Ghats and in South IndiaRoughly 900 km of interconnected backwaters

Rivers and waters

Periyar (longest in Kerala)Bharathapuzha (Nila)PambaChaliyarVembanad Lake (largest in Kerala, a Ramsar site)Ashtamudi Lake (Ramsar)44 rivers in all — 41 flowing west, 3 east

Through the year

SeasonMonthsTypicalWhat it is like
SummerFebruary–May27–37 °CHumid on the coast, pleasant in Munnar and Wayanad. Thrissur Pooram falls at the end of it.
Southwest monsoonJune–September23–30 °CHeavy, continuous rain. Ayurveda treatment season (Karkidakam). Onam falls in Aug–Sep.
Northeast monsoonOctober–November23–32 °CShorter, thundery evening rain. Greenest the land ever looks.
WinterDecember–February18–32 °CDry, clear, mild. Peak season for the coast, the hills and the Theyyam calendar.

Best time to visitOctober to March for almost everything. Munnar and Wayanad are good September to March; the Theyyam season in north Malabar runs roughly December to April; the Nehru Trophy snake boat race is in August, mid-monsoon.

The climate, landforms, rivers and seasons of Kochi & Central Kerala, and the best time of year to visit. (4)