Weather in Sri Lanka
Like anywhere, the weather in Sri Lanka will depend on where you are and what time of year you are travelling. This is especially true of Sri Lanka, which experiences two separate monsoon seasons. It is hot throughout the year all over the country, except in the hills of the tea country, with the average high hovering around 30°C.
Weather by location
Galle and Colombo
Colombo and Galle are hot throughout the year and located in the rainiest part of Sri Lanka, where rainfall peaks in April–May and October–November.
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 32°C | 25°C |
June to August | 30°C | 25°C |
September to November | 30°C | 24°C |
December to February | 31°C | 23°C |
North-west
Sri Lanka’s north-west sees much less rainfall than the south, though the rains are abundant in October, November and December. The average temperature ranges from 23°C to 33°C in Jaffna, right at the northern tip.
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 32°C | 24°C |
June to August | 33°C | 27°C |
September to November | 31°C | 25°C |
December to February | 29°C | 23°C |
Kandy
The heat in Kandy, which lies in the centre of Sri Lanka at an altitude of over 450m, is less intense than in other areas. The average temperature runs from a low of 18°C to a high of 31°C.
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 31°C | 21°C |
June to August | 28°C | 20°C |
September to November | 28°C | 20°C |
December to February | 29°C | 19°C |
Nuwara Eliya
The hilly tea country gets quite chilly compared to the rest of Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya, which sits at just under 2000m, sees average temperatures of 9°C to 23°C. There’s no real dry season here, with rainfall throughout the year, though February and March see less rain than the other months as well as the most hours of sunshine.
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 22°C | 11°C |
June to August | 19°C | 13°C |
September to November | 20°C | 12°C |
December to February | 20°C | 10°C |
East coast
In cities like Trincomalee and Batticaloa it is hot all year with the rainy season running from October through till February, peaking in November and December. The average temperature ranges from 23°C to 34°C.
MONTH | AVERAGE HIGH | AVERAGE LOW |
March to May | 32°C | 25°C |
June to August | 33°C | 25°C |
September to November | 31°C | 24°C |
December to February | 28°C | 23°C |
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