Climate of Auroville's area

The climate in Auroville can be classified as "Tropical (winter) monsoon climate" (Am in the Köppen climate classification scheme)

Seasons

kaandhal

The ancient Tamil calendar recognised six seasons: Summer (இளவேனில்), spring (முதுவேனில்), monsoon (கார்), autumn (கூதிர்), winter (முன்பனி) and prevernal (பின்பனி). Each of these seasons was well defined and had a great impact on ancient Tamil life. Two thousand years ago, Tamils used to predict the monsoon when the north wind set and when kaandhal bloomed. Tamils knew the flowers that bloom each season, the birds that migrate, the diseases that affect humans and the land that could be put to best use at that time. In today’s society, disconnect between nature and society has largely destroyed the experience of these seasons.

Residents of Auroville are largely aware of three seasons: monsoon, winter, summer. In general the climate results in a dry top soil between March and October. Only indigenous plants can survive this; all others need additional irrigation. Our summer season has one advantage for us: our local Mangoes and Jackfruits are ripening plus a lot a trees display their flowers now.

Precipitation

We have part of our rain between May and July called "Southwest monsoon" mainly through thunder storms in the evenings. Most of the rain though falls between October and December through an average of 6 low pressure systems (depressions if they are shallow, cyclones if they are deep). This period is called "the Northeast monsoon".

Our average yearly rain used to amount to 1250 mm: it might have to be revised upwards. Hail very rarely happens, during an exceptional thunderstorm: it will melt very fast on the ground. The longest publicly open record of rainfall around is the one from Puducherry department of statistics which runs from 1900 till today.

Humidity

It can get uncomfortable here mostly because of this. Temperature and humidity are linked (look up "absolute humidity"). As a response to excessive heat in the surrounding environment, our bodies perspire to make us feel cooler. Evaporation works best when the air is dry. In moist, saturated air, perspiration cannot evaporate as readily. The combination of excess heat and moisture will cause us to feel hot and sticky.

In the spring evenings the temperature drops while the relative humidity goes up to over 88%. In summer afternoons the windspeeds and temperatures picks up and the humidity can go dow to 28%. In the winter mornings the temperature is lowest, humidity goes up to even 100% and mist can form. A yearly average is about 75%.

Temperatures

The coldest time can be a January morning when it can get down to 16 C, with mist. The hottest time can be a May afternoon at 43 C; the humidity will be low then.

Wind

Mornings usually have little or no wind; summer noons can bring high speeds. Only during summer thunderstorms or the passing of a "wall" of the eye of a cyclone really high wind gusts happen that can do damage. (trees are sometimes saved from going down by cutting of some large wind catching branches) The cyclone Thane on 31 December 2011 did a great deal of damage to Auroville's forests although it was only a category 1 out of 5 in wind power. The cyclone Nilam on 31 October 2012 took away a lot of sand from our beaches (Repos!) in combination with the long groyne/ wave breaker pier south of Quiet. To see how zig-zag around Auroville that cyclone moved download this KML file and use it in Google Earth.

External Links

• Pondicherry statistics office rainfall data
• 'Tamil calendar' on Wikipedia
• Gloriosa superba (kaandhal) on Plantekey