Sri Lanka: Weather, Best time to go, Where to go?

Best time to go to Central and South Asia?

When is the best time to go to Sri Lanka?

The best times to visit Sri Lanka depend on the chosen destinations. Thus, the period from December to March is favorable to discover the capital Colombo and the communities located west and south of the country. During this time of year, one will have the opportunity to go snorkel diving in peace because the beautiful sunshine and an almost ideal water temperature enlighten and liven the days. Furthermore, this ideal period is also favorable for sightseeing in the center of the country.

In order to best discover the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, choose the period between May and September. Although the vast monsoon season is in full swing on the western side of the country, the rest of the territory is spared by the rain, thanks to the geography of the Ceylon island.

If you wish to explore this beautiful island combined with its many attractions while distanced from the large crowds of tourists, pick a period that does not coincide with the school holidays. This will be the best opportunity to visit Sri Lanka, all while sparing your wallet.

So, when is the best time to go to Sri Lanka? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:

• In Sri Lanka, the weather is at least tolerable in January, February, March and September
• The best months to go to Colombo are January and February
• On average, the warmest months in Colombo are January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November and December
• The rainiest months in this city are May, June, July and August
• The cities with the best climate are Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Trincomalee and Wilpattu National Park, with good weather at least 7 months a year
• The sea temperature is suitable for swimming all year round in Colombo

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Sri Lanka for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

Month	Average temp.	Rainfall	Our opinion	View Details
JanuaryJan.	21°C to 31°C	138mm	tolerable to good*	Sri Lanka in january
FebruaryFeb.	22°C to 31°C	139mm	tolerable to good*	Sri Lanka in february
MarchMar.	23°C to 32°C	180mm	tolerable to good*	Sri Lanka in march
AprilApr.	24°C to 32°C	274mm	very bad to tolerable*	Sri Lanka in april
MayMay	23°C to 32°C	401mm	very bad to good*	Sri Lanka in may
JuneJun.	23°C to 32°C	292mm	very bad to good*	Sri Lanka in june
JulyJul.	22°C to 31°C	245mm	very bad to good*	Sri Lanka in july
AugustAug.	22°C to 31°C	289mm	very bad to good*	Sri Lanka in august
SeptemberSep.	23°C to 31°C	301mm	tolerable to good*	Sri Lanka in september
OctoberOct.	23°C to 31°C	370mm	very bad to tolerable*	Sri Lanka in october
NovemberNov.	22°C to 31°C	423mm	very bad to tolerable*	Sri Lanka in november
DecemberDec.	21°C to 31°C	317mm	very bad to good*	Sri Lanka in december

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When to go to Sri Lanka by city

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Climate and Weather in Sri Lanka

Located at the heart of the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of India and not far from Indonesia, Sri Lanka is a country of equatorial or tropical climate, with a warmth that prevails from morning to night, without any interruption. The latter is still tempered by the presence of ocean winds. Humidity also reigns over most of the territory. However, the weather is heated among the plains or on the coast, as it is in Trincomalee and Jaffna but the mountainous areas on the other hand experience more bearable temperatures.

Tropical, the climate of Sri Lanka therefore faces two major monsoon periods. During the wet season, the country is covered in many rains that are usually followed by very cloudy periods. The main hazard of this monsoon season lies on the coast of the country, as the underwater currents are often very dangerous at this time of year.

The great monsoon season plagues the entire southwest of Sri Lanka, especially towards the capital, Colombo, from the months of May to late August. The country undergoes a humidity level of around 95% and is covered by a very moist heat. Meanwhile, the early monsoon season which does not occur every year, rages from October to late January on the east coast just as it does in Trincomalee.

Outside of these somewhat troubled weather periods for the country, the temperature is quite pleasant. While the rain still remains fairly common, other than between late January and April which is described as the driest period of the country, the climate of Sri Lanka does enjoy beautiful sunny periods.

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Temperatures and rainfall in Sri Lanka

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Sri Lanka and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Colombo, Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Arugam Bay and Batticaloa, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities..

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Where to go in Sri Lanka?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities	jan.	feb.	mar.	apr.	may	jun.	jul.	aug.	sep.	oct.	nov.	dec.
Colombo	33°C	34°C	35°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	33°C
Jaffna	30°C	30°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	33°C	32°C	30°C
Anuradhapura	30°C	32°C	35°C	35°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	30°C
Arugam Bay	30°C	31°C	33°C	34°C	35°C	35°C	35°C	35°C	34°C	34°C	32°C	30°C
Batticaloa	30°C	31°C	33°C	34°C	35°C	35°C	35°C	35°C	34°C	34°C	32°C	30°C
Bentota	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	33°C
Dambulla	30°C	32°C	35°C	36°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	32°C	30°C
Ella	25°C	25°C	27°C	27°C	26°C	25°C	25°C	25°C	26°C	26°C	25°C	24°C
Galle	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Hikkaduwa	32°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	32°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	32°C	32°C	32°C
Kalutara	33°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	33°C
Kandy	29°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	31°C	30°C	30°C	30°C	31°C	31°C	30°C	29°C
Negombo	33°C	34°C	35°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	31°C	33°C	33°C	33°C
Neluwa	32°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	30°C	30°C	30°C	30°C	31°C	31°C	31°C
Nuwara Eliya	25°C	26°C	27°C	27°C	26°C	25°C	25°C	25°C	26°C	26°C	25°C	24°C
Puttalam	31°C	32°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	32°C	31°C
Trincomalee	30°C	32°C	35°C	36°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	34°C	32°C	30°C
Udawalawe National Park	32°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	30°C	30°C	30°C	30°C	31°C	31°C	31°C
Wilpattu National Park	30°C	32°C	35°C	35°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	31°C	30°C
Yala National Park	32°C	33°C	34°C	34°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	33°C	34°C	33°C	32°C

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather

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Map of Sri Lanka

Click over cities for information about the weather.

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About Sri Lanka

What can I do in Sri Lanka?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife

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