The tropical wet and dry climate, drier than areas with a tropical monsoon climate, prevails over most of the inland peninsular region except for a semi-arid rain shadow east of the Western Ghats. Winter and early summer are long and dry periods with temperatures averaging above , summer is exceedingly hot with temperatures in low-lying areas exceeding , and the rainy season lasts from June to September with annual rainfall averaging between across the region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls in Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry. The hot semi-arid climate predominates the land east of the Western Ghats and the Cardamom Hills. The region, which includes Karnataka, inland Tamil Nadu and western Andhra Pradesh, gets between of rainfall annually with hot summers and dry winters with temperatures around . The months between March and May are hot and dry with mean monthly temperatures hover around , with precipitation, and without artificial irrigation, this region is not suitable for agriculture.