Study: Flexibility During Weather Delays Reveals More About Dates

A survey of 9,583 Gen Z and millennial singles in metropolitan and suburban areas of India has examined how monsoon conditions influence dating experiences. The study, conducted by dating app QuackQuack, found that flooded roads, power cuts and cancelled plans often reveal differences in how matches respond to disruption.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said the rainy season makes it harder for matches to maintain a performative or highly curated dating style. Unpredictable weather reduces opportunities for carefully staged outings and increases the likelihood of spontaneous or adjusted plans.

Among more than 5,500 participants aged 28 to 35, many reported noticing clear differences in reactions when in-person meetings were repeatedly postponed. Some matches lost interest, while others demonstrated flexibility – described by respondents as a “Plan B” approach – by shifting to virtual dates or adjusting venues. One Kolkata respondent, Amisha, described a match who travelled farther than expected after heavy rain disrupted original plans, viewing the flexibility as a positive signal.

Fifty-three percent of Gen Z respondents said disruptive weather reduces performative elements of dating. Seven in ten participants overall noted that expensive outfits and upscale venues become less relevant when everyone arrives in wet conditions. Many said they preferred the resulting imperfect, spontaneous interactions over heavily planned dates. A 26-year-old Mumbai respondent, Jatin, summarised the view as “Bad weather helps build good connections.”

Reliability also ranked highly. Forty-two percent of daters (23 percent female and 19 percent male) said a match who consistently checks whether they reached home safely is remembered longer than one who arranges a single elaborate outing. Consistency during difficult weather conditions was frequently cited as more meaningful than grand gestures. A Pune respondent, Raya, noted regular check-ins about travel difficulties as evidence of reliability.

QuackQuack founder and CEO Ravi Mittal commented that many daters now assess compatibility through situations requiring empathy, patience and practical problem-solving rather than solely through polished experiences. The monsoon, the survey suggests, provides repeated opportunities to observe these qualities in practice.