Sunshine hours in Kolkata: 2,160 hours a year, month by month

Kolkata gets 2,160 hours of sunshine a year on average (5.9 a day). Sunniest month: March with 222 hours. Every month, measured 1991–2020.

• Kolkata gets 2,160 hours of sunshine a year on average, 5.9 a day – 49% of the astronomically possible. The sunniest month is March with 222 hours (7.2 a day), the dullest July with 127 (4.1 a day).
• Number 16 of 48 large cities in India.
• Nearest weather station: Jessore, 107 km away – 1991–2020 average, Deutscher Wetterdienst.

Sunshine hours month by month

• January: 189 h · 6.1 h a day · 56 %
• February: 204 h · 7.3 h a day · 64 %
• March: 222 h · 7.2 h a day · 60 %
• April: 218 h · 7.3 h a day · 57 %
• May: 207 h · 6.7 h a day · 51 %
• June: 142 h · 4.7 h a day · 35 %
• July: 127 h · 4.1 h a day · 31 %
• August: 134 h · 4.3 h a day · 34 %
• September: 145 h · 4.8 h a day · 39 %
• October: 188 h · 6.1 h a day · 52 %
• November: 201 h · 6.7 h a day · 61 %
• December: 183 h · 5.9 h a day · 55 %

Questions about sunshine hours

• How many hours of sunshine does Kolkata get a year? On average over 1991–2020 the sun shines in Kolkata for 2,160 hours a year – 5.9 hours a day and 49% of the time the sun is above the horizon.
• What is the sunniest month in Kolkata? March, with 222 hours of sunshine, 7.2 a day on average. The least sun comes in July: 127 hours, 4.1 a day.
• Is Kolkata a sunny city? Among the 48 large cities in India with measurements, Kolkata ranks number 16.
• Where do the figures come from? From the 1991–2020 climate normals of Deutscher Wetterdienst: Germany from its own station network, the rest of the world from the CLIMAT reports of the national weather services. Kolkata uses the station Jessore.
• What counts as an hour of sunshine? By the World Meteorological Organization's definition the sun is shining once its direct radiation exceeds 120 watts per square metre. Just after sunrise and before sunset it is often too weak – which is why even deserts never reach 100%.

The sunniest large cities: United States

• 1. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 2. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 3. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 4. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 5. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 6. Fresno: 3,565 h a year
• 7. Chico: 3,542 h a year
• 8. Colorado Springs: 3,463 h a year
• 9. Albuquerque: 3,414 h a year
• 10. Amarillo: 3,298 h a year

The cloudiest large cities: United States

• 1. Pittsburgh: 1,972 h a year
• 2. Anchorage: 2,063 h a year
• 3. Syracuse: 2,120 h a year
• 4. Seattle: 2,170 h a year
• 5. Columbus: 2,182 h a year
• 6. Grand Rapids: 2,188 h a year
• 7. Buffalo: 2,206 h a year
• 8. Meads: 2,259 h a year
• 9. Cleveland: 2,281 h a year
• 10. Rochester: 2,299 h a year

The sunniest large cities in the world

• 1. Mexicali: 4,017 h a year
• 2. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 3. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 4. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 5. Ciudad Juárez: 3,763 h a year
• 6. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 7. Dubai: 3,610 h a year
• 8. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 9. Victoria de Durango: 3,573 h a year
• 10. Fresno: 3,565 h a year

The cloudiest large cities in the world

• 1. Chengdu: 962 h a year
• 2. Chongqing: 985 h a year
• 3. Sukabumi: 1,082 h a year
• 4. Glasgow: 1,153 h a year
• 5. Tanjung Pinang: 1,172 h a year
• 6. Medan: 1,201 h a year
• 7. Samarinda: 1,275 h a year
• 8. Sungai Penuh: 1,311 h a year
• 9. Limerick: 1,339 h a year
• 10. Huaihua: 1,352 h a year

• Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), sunshine duration climate normals 1991–2020, CC BY 4.0. Possible hours: time between sunrise and sunset.