Climate - Sri Lanka

Index

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• Introduction
• North-west - Jaffna, Mannar
• South-west coast - Colombo
• East coast - Trincomalee, Batticaloa
• South-east coast - Hambantota
• Sea temperature
• The interior - Anuradhapura, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya
• Cyclones
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, the climate is tropical, and the weather is hot and humid throughout the year. The country is located just north of the equator.
The rainfall pattern is determined by the monsoon regime, but also by the two zenith passages of the sun (that is, when it shines directly overhead in the sky at mid-day), which occur in April and October. In addition, the inland elevations, which are higher in the south-central part of the island, influence the intensity and the distribution of rainfall in the different areas: the rainiest areas are the south-western mountain slope and the coastal area where Colombo is located, while the driest ones are the north-west coast (see Mannar, Jaffna) and the south-east coast (see Hambantota).
The highest mountain is Pidurutalagala (or Mount Pedro), 2,524 meters (8,280 feet) high.
The rains in Sri Lanka, as usually happens in countries having a tropical climate, occur mainly in the form of downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon or in the evening.
There are two peaks in the rainfall: the first, in April and May, only affects the south-west and the interior, while the second, from October to December, due to the retreating monsoon, affects the whole country.
From May to September, the southwest monsoon prevails, but it releases the bulk of the rains in India, while in Sri Lanka, it brings heavy rainfall only on the southwest coast (see Colombo) and in the mountainous area of the interior. However, during this period, the sea is rough on the western side, and there may be dangerous currents, except for the beaches partially sheltered by a coral reef (see the beaches of Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa).
From March to May, before the arrival of the southwest monsoon, there is an increase in temperature, more noticeable in the north-central part of the country.
On average, the amount of sunshine is never low on the coasts, in fact, there are a few hours of sunshine a day even in the rainy months, however, it is better in the dry season, when there are 8/9 hours of sunshine per day. On the contrary, in inland mountainous areas, cloudiness is more common, and the sun is rarely seen from May to December.

North-west

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In the north-west (see Mannar, Jaffna), partially protected by neighbouring India, between 1,000 and 1,300 millimeters (40 to 50 inches) of rain fall per year, and the rains are only abundant between October and December. Temperatures are high throughout the year, but compared to the south, there's a greater difference between the winter months and the pre-monsoon period, from March to May. The sea is warm all year round (see below).

Jaffna

In Jaffna, located in the north-western tip of the country, the weather is hot all year round. Being that the summer monsoon is very weak, the heat remains intense even in summer. Here are the average temperatures.

In Jaffna, 1,300 mm (51 inches) of rain fall per year, but the rains are really abundant only from October to December. Here is the average rainfall.

In the north-west, the sun often shines from January to May, while in the rest of the year, all in all, the sun is seen for a decent number of hours, both in the summer (where it rarely rains, but there's still some cloudiness due to the south-west monsoon) and at the end of the year (when the north-east monsoon brings abundant rainfall, but otherwise the sun shines). Here are the average sunshine hours in Jaffna.

Mannar

In Mannar, a little further to the south, the climate is similar to that of Jaffna. Here are the average temperatures.

In Mannar, rainfall even drops below 1,000 mm (40 in) per year. However, in addition to the rainy season at the end of the year, there is a certain increase in rainfall in April. Here is the average precipitation.

Further south, in Puttalam and Kalpitiya, the climate is similar, but the increase in rainfall in April and May is evident, so much so that in April, 175 mm (7 in) of rain fall. Here is the average rainfall in Puttalam.

South-west coast

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The south-western coast, from Negombo to Tangalle, is decidedly more rainy than the north-western one, and does not experience a real dry season, even though the rains decrease from January to March, and to a lesser extent from June to August. In this part of the coast, there are beaches like Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna and Mirissa.

Colombo

The Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, is located in the rainiest part of the country, namely the south-western side. Here, 2,500 mm (99 in) of rain fall per year, with two maxima, in April-May and October-November, when precipitation exceeds 240 mm (9.5 in) per month. Between the two rainy periods, there is a relative decrease in July and August, with about 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain per month, while the driest months, with less than 100 mm (4 in) per month, are January and February. Here is the average precipitation.

In Colombo, it's constantly hot throughout the year, with highs around 30/32 °C (86/90 °F), but the humidity is a bit lower in January and February. Here are the average temperatures.

In Colombo, the sun regularly shines from January to April, while from May to September, it does not shine very often because it is directly exposed to the southwest monsoon.

In the extreme south-west, in Galle, it rains more than in Colombo in July and August; precipitation is around 2,400 mm (95 in) per year. However, here too, the rains drop to an acceptable level from January to March. Here is the average rainfall.



Further east, in Matara and Tangalle, the rains decrease a little, but remain abundant. In Matara, at the southern tip of Sri Lanka, 2,000 mm (78 in) of rain fall per year, and in Tangalle 1,900 mm (75 in).

East coast

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The east coast directly receives the north-east monsoon that occurs at the end of the year, so it rains a lot from October to December; the monsoon lingers, though weakened, until January and sometimes February, in fact, the rains during some years can be abundant even in February. In contrast, this coast is sheltered from the south-west monsoon that blows from May to September, so in this period, the sun shines and it is also very hot. Therefore, even though the total rainfall amount is not low, the landscape is semi-arid.
On average, around 1,600 mm (63 in) of rain fall per year.

Trincomalee

In Trincomalee, it is hot all year round, even though the maximum temperature in the rainy season drops below 30 °C (86 °F), but the humidity increases. On the other hand, the summer period, as well as being quite dry, is also particularly hot, since the prevailing wind blows from the interior. Here are the average temperatures.

The rains in Trincomalee are abundant from October to January, and very abundant in November and December, at the height of the retreating monsoon. Here is the average precipitation.

On the east coast, the sun regularly shines for most of the year, and therefore even in summer, since the area is in a rain shadow from to the southwest monsoon.

Batticaloa

Further south, in Batticaloa, the climate is similar to that of Trincomalee. Here are the average temperatures.

In Batticaloa too, the rains are abundant from October to January, and very abundant in November and December, at the height of the retreating monsoon. Here is the average precipitation.

In Batticaloa too, the sun regularly shines during the summer months.

South of Batticaloa, in Kalmunai, and further south, in Arugam Bay, a famous beach among surfers, the climate is similar.

Southeast coast

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On the southeastern coast (see Hambantota, Kirinda), which is quite protected even from the north-east monsoon blowing at the end of the year, rainfall is again quite contained, as in the north-west, and amounts to 1,000/1,200 mm (40/47 in) per year, with a relative peak in April and May, and a more pronounced one from October to December.

Hambantota

In Hambantota, the rainfall amounts to 1,000 mm (40 in) per year, and it exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month only from October to December. Here is the average rainfall.

Sea temperature

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As mentioned, the sea in Sri Lanka is warm all year round, as we can see from the water temperature near Colombo.

The interior

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In the interior, the heat is particularly intense at low altitude.

Anuradhapura

In Anuradhapura, in the north-central inland region, the heat is intense throughout the year, but especially between March and September.

The rainfall in Anuradhapura amounts to 1,300 mm (51 in) per year, with a maximum between October and December and a minimum in summer, between June and August. In April and May, there is an increase in the afternoon showers, but not as intense as in the south-west.



Going up in altitude, the climate becomes milder, but also rainier.

Kandy

Already in Kandy, at 450 meters (1,450 ft) above sea level, in the center of the island, the heat is slightly less intense than in the plains: the daily average ranges from 23.5 °C (74 °F) in January to 26 °C (79 °F) in April.

Rainfall in Kandy amounts to 1,850 mm (72 in) per year, with a minimum from January to March and a maximum between October and December. In summer, although the rainfall exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month, after all, it does not rain very much, so much so that the Buddhist festival of Esala Perahera is held for 10 nights in a row in July or August. Here is the average precipitation.

Nuwara Eliya

In Nuwara Eliya, 1,900 meters (6,200 ft) above sea level, the temperature is spring-like all year round, but at night, it can be a bit cold between December and March. Here are the average temperatures.

In Nuwara Eliya, 1,900 mm (75 in) of rain fall per year; the rainfall pattern is similar to that of Kandy. Here too, there is no real dry season, although in January, February and March, the rains are not very abundant and are around 70/100 mm (2.8/4 in) per month.

The sun in Nuwara Eliya is rarely seen from May to September, although it does not shine too often even in the least rainy months, February and March.

Tropical cyclones

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Sri Lanka lies in the path of tropical cyclones, even though most of them pass to the north, affecting India and the Bay of Bengal. The period of cyclones, which are able to bring heavy rains and strong winds, goes from April to December, with two peaks in May and November.
However, to tell the truth, tropical depressions (ie less intense tropical cyclones) can form even in winter, since at so low a latitude, as previously mentioned, the sea remains warm all year round, so it's always able to provide energy for their formation.

Best Time

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Notwithstanding the fact that it is an equatorial country, where the rains can be irregular from one year to the next, the best months to visit Sri Lanka as a whole, and therefore also the cities of the interior, are February and March. In fact, in January, it still rains a lot on the east coast, while from April to September, it rains a lot in the south-west and in inland areas, and then from October to December, it rains a lot in the whole country.
On the other hand, for a beach holiday, in the northwest you can go from mid-January to mid-September, in Puttalam and Kalpitiya and on the south-west coast (from Colombo to Tangalle) you can go from January to March, on the east coast (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Kalmunai) you can go from February (or for safety from March) to mid-September, and on the south-east coast (Hambantota) you can go from January to mid-September.
However, the month of may can be avoided for the highest risk of tropical cyclones, and because the arrival of the monsoon, around the 20th of the month, can cause abundant rainfall throughout the country, which can trigger floods, as happened in May 2016, 2017 and 2018.
In summer, from June to August, the east coast is preferable because it is sunnier, and the sea is calm. On the contrary, in this period, on the south-west coast, from Colombo to Tangalle, the weather is rainy, and the sea is rough.

What to pack

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All year round, pack light clothes of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella, comfortable shoes, a scarf for the breeze, and a light sweatshirt for the evening, especially at low-mountain elevations (see Kandy). From November to March, you can bring a light sweatshirt for the evening also at sea level, especially in the north-west. In Nuwara Eliya and at high altitudes, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweater and a jacket for the evening, and a raincoat or umbrella.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
Before entering temples, it is customary to remove shoes, dress neatly and cover a little.