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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Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is a island country located south-east of India, just north of the Equator, and has a tropical climate, with hot, humid weather all year round.
Even though the country is small, there are significant differences, especially as regards to the distribution of the rainfall, whose 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 early April and early September. Also the proximity of the extreme south of India, which partly protects the north-west, and 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 Jaffna, Mannar) and the south-east coast (see Hambantota).
The highest mountain is Pidurutalagala (or Mount Pedro), 2,524 meters (8,280 feet) high.
Here is a summary of the times of the year that determine the climate of Sri Lanka.
- From mid-December to February: it is the period of the north-east monsoon, which brings rainfall especially on the eastern side (see Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Hambantota). The rains gradually decrease as the sea becomes slightly cooler. Temperatures are the lowest of the year, and sometimes nights are quite cool (below 20 °C or 68 °F).
- From March to mid-May: this is the first intermonsonic period, usually dry and gradually hotter (especially in the north-central part of the country), in which, however, rains occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, which are frequent and abundant only on the western side (see Colombo) and in the mountainous interior areas (see Kandy, Nuwara Eliya).
- From mid-May to September: it is the period of the southwest monsoon, which, however, 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, especially in the first part (mid-May - mid June) and a little less in the last (September). In this period, the north-west (see Jaffna, Mannar) is the driest area because it is protected by the south-east of India. 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 October to mid-December: this is the second intermonsonic period, in which, unlike in the first, there are rains spread throughout the country, since tropical depressions often form.

As a result, on the eastern side it rains a lot only from October to February, in the north-west it rains a lot only from October to December, on the western side it rains mainly from April to June and from September to November, while in the mountainous areas it rains mainly from April to December.

On average, the amount of sunshine in Sri Lanka 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.

The sea is warm all year round.

North-west

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In the north-west (see Jaffna, Mannar), which as we have mentioned is 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, when the temperature rises, also due to the influence of the Indian continental mass.

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, the hours of sunshine decrease a little, both in the summer (where it rarely rains, but there's still some cloudiness due to the south-west monsoon) and in the rainy period of the end of the year. 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, the hottest month before the southwest monsoon arrives. 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, being to the west of the mountains and not being protected by India, 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 legislative capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, is located (together with the neighboring administrative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte) 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, the temperature exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) even from December to February, when the northeast monsoon blows, which comes down from the mountains, although the slightly lower humidity makes it more bearable than in the rest of the year. 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.



In the part of the coast facing south, 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 is exposed to the humid winds brought by the depressions that form on the Bay of Bengal from October, and then directly receives the northeast monsoon from December to February, which gradually becomes weaker. 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. However, in the rainy season, the maximum temperatures drop to around 29/30 °C (84/86 °F), although 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. The least sunny months are the wettest, November and December.

Further south, in Batticaloa, in Kalmunai and in Arugam Bay, a famous beach among surfers, the climate is similar to that of Trincomalee.

Southeast coast

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On the southeastern coast (see Hambantota, Kirinda), which is quite protected even from the north-east monsoon, 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 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. Here are the average temperatures.

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 (when cyclones generally do not hit Sri Lanka directly, because they form on the Bay of Bengal and then head towards Bangladesh, but they can still bring heavy rains) and in November and December (which are typically the only months when cyclones hit Sri Lanka).
However, to tell the truth, tropical depressions (ie less intense tropical cyclones) can form even from January to March, 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 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 landslides and 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.