Tamil Nadu has a tropical climate with no wild swing between summer and winter temperature. April and May are the hottest months with the mercury often soaring above the 40 ºC mark. Coastal regions also get uncomfortably warm and humid during these months but the nights are usually cool, thanks to the sea breeze that sets in during the afternoons. Summer temperatures are quite equable at the foothills of the ghats. But the most pleasant are the hills stations where the maximum temperature rarely rises above the mid twenties in summer. 'Winter' falls between November-February when the climate is pleasantly cool unless you wish to visit the hill stations, in which case you will need woolens. Minimum temperatures in the plains rarely dip below 20 ºC while in the hills the mercury may drop to 5 ºC or below. The important point to remember about Tamil Nadu is the rainy season between October and December when the north-east monsoon brings rain in spurts.