Sri Lanka climate

World Climates covers 6 places in Sri Lanka. By annual mean temperature, the warmest is Kalmunai (28 °C83 °F) and the coolest is Kandy (24 °C75 °F). The wettest is Colombo with 1,998 mm79 in of precipitation per year, the driest Jaffna with 1,143 mm45 in.

The most common climate types (Köppen classification computed from these averages) are tropical rainforest (Af, 3 places), tropical savanna (dry summer) (As, 2 places) and tropical monsoon (Am, 1 place).

The highest monthly average high is in Kalmunai (32 °C90 °F in August); the lowest monthly average low is in Kandy (17 °C63 °F in January).

Across the places in Sri Lanka, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are January, February and June (3, 5 and 2 of 6 places respectively).

Temperature and rainfall across Sri Lanka

Annual mean temperatures in Sri Lanka range from 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F. The typical place (the median of all 6) has a year average of 28 °C82 °F. Annual precipitation ranges from 1,143 mm45 in to 1,998 mm79 in. The median place receives about 1,658 mm65 in in an average year.

In 0 places of 6, the coldest month has an average low below 0 °C (32 °F). In 6 places, the warmest month has an average high above 30 °C (86 °F). No place here gets less than 250 mm (10 in) of precipitation a year. None gets more than 2,000 mm (79 in) a year.

Averaged over all 6 places, April is the warmest month, with a mean of 28 °C83 °F. January is the coldest, with 25 °C78 °F. The wettest month on average is November (301 mm12 in). The driest is July (61 mm2.4 in). Single places can differ a lot from this average, so check the page of each city.

The table below lists the places sorted by population. The largest ones covered here are Colombo, Jaffna and Negombo. Each city page has a chart and a table for every month. It also shows the best time to visit and what to pack. The figures are 25-year averages for 2001–2025 from NASA POWER. They describe grid cells of roughly 50–70 km, not single weather stations.

Climate of each place in Sri Lanka

Colombo has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is April, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 23 °C73 °F. About 1,998 mm79 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are January and February.

Jaffna has a tropical savanna (dry summer) climate (Köppen As). Its year average is 28 °C83 °F. The warmest month is April, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 25 °C76 °F. About 1,143 mm45 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and June the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are January and February.

Negombo has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is April, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 23 °C73 °F. About 1,998 mm79 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are January and February.

Kandy has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Its year average is 24 °C75 °F. The warmest month is April, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 17 °C63 °F. About 1,645 mm65 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and July the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are June–August.

Trincomalee has a tropical savanna (dry summer) climate (Köppen As). Its year average is 28 °C82 °F. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 24 °C76 °F. About 1,565 mm62 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and June the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are February and March.

Kalmunai has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Its year average is 28 °C83 °F. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 25 °C77 °F. About 1,671 mm66 in of precipitation falls in a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are February and March and June–August.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the warmest place in Sri Lanka?

By annual mean temperature, the warmest place in Sri Lanka is Kalmunai at 28 °C83 °F. The coolest is Kandy at 24 °C75 °F.

Where does it rain the most in Sri Lanka?

Colombo gets the most precipitation, 1,998 mm79 in in an average year. The driest place is Jaffna with 1,143 mm45 in.

How many places in Sri Lanka does this site cover?

World Climates has climate data for 6 places in Sri Lanka. Each one has a page with monthly averages for temperature, rainfall, humidity and daylight.

When is the best time to visit Sri Lanka?

It depends on the place. Across Sri Lanka, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are January, February and June. Check the page of each city for its own best months.