West Bengal does not have a single average rainfall. It is a state where one district drowns while another bakes. Understanding this gradient is key to understanding the resilience of its people—from the tea pickers in the wet north to the farmers scraping a living in the dry west.
The western plateau districts (such as Purulia and Bankura) and parts of the northern plains (like Nadia) often record the state's lowest annual rainfall, sometimes dipping toward 1,250 mm . 2. Monthly Distribution and Seasonality average rainfall in west bengal
While the annual average is a useful metric, the timing of the rain is vital for the rice paddies that dominate the landscape. West Bengal does not have a single average rainfall
If you calculate the mean average rainfall for the entire state, the number lands at approximately per year. However, this figure is deceptive. It is the result of averaging the driest districts with the wettest district on Earth. The western plateau districts (such as Purulia and
The average annual rainfall in West Bengal is approximately , though this varies drastically across different geographical divisions.
| Region | District Examples | Avg. Annual Rainfall | Character | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri | 3,500 mm+ | Extreme, Flooding | | Gangetic Plain | Kolkata, Nadia, Murshidabad | 1,600 – 1,900 mm | Moderate, Seasonal | | Coastal South | South 24 Parganas (Sundarbans) | 1,800 mm | Cyclonic, Saline | | Western Plateau | Purulia, Bankura | 1,100 mm | Scant, Drought-prone |