Colombo Weather and Climate: A Comprehensive Guide
Colombo features a tropical monsoon climate. The city has two rainy seasons and a lot of precipitation in between; an average of more than 2500 mm of precipitation annually. Temperatures are almost constant throughout the year: the average daily temperature is around 30°C. Together with the abundant precipitation, this makes for high humidity. The best time of year to visit Colombo is in January, February, July and August.
Average maximum day and minimum night temperature
The climate in Colombo remains fairly constant, offering very warm temperatures throughout the year. Average daytime temperatures reach a very warm 33°C in March. In January, the coolest month of the year, temperatures drop to a very warm 30°C.
At night, you can expect cooler temperatures, with averages dropping to around 24°C during this month. Check out our detailed temperature page for more information.Temperature ranges by month
Precipitation and rainy days
Colombo is known for its substantial rainfall, with annual precipitation reaching 2608 mm. Colombo can be quite wet during October, receiving approximately 355 mm of precipitation over 16 rainy days. In contrast January, experiences much drier conditions, with 71 mm of rainfall, spread across 5 rainy days. For more details, please visit our Colombo Precipitation page.The mean monthly precipitation over the year, including rain, hail and snow
The average number of days each month with precipitation
Sunshine over the year
Colombo experiences moderate variation in sunshine hours across the seasons. With 9.2 hours daily sunshine in March, it dips to 6.3 hours in September, offering a balanced mix of sunny and overcast days. Visit our detailed sunshine hours page for more information.Monthly hours of sunshine
Daily hours of sunshine
Average water temperature
The mean water temperature over the year ranges from 26°C in August to 28°C in January.
Water temperature over the year
Average humidity
The relative humidity is high throughout the year in Colombo.
The city experiences its highest humidity in June, reaching 79%. In February, the humidity drops to its lowest level at 69%. What does this mean? Read our detailed page on humidity levels for further details.
Relative humidity over the year
Average wind speed
The average wind speed over the year ranges from 1 m/s to 2 m/s. It is lower in February, March, April, October, November and December and higher in January, May, June, July, August and September.
The mean monthly wind speed over the year (meters per second)
broken clouds and rain broken clouds and thunder broken clouds and no rainForecast for Colombo
1 m/s
1 m/s
2 m/s
Select a Month of Interest
Check the conditions for any month of the year.
The best time of year to visit Colombo in Sri Lanka
Colombo has high temperatures year round ranging between 30°C and 32°C.Other facts from our historical weather data:
March has an average maximum temperature of 33°C and is the hottest month of the year.
The coolest month is January with an average maximum temperature of 30°C.
October tops the wettest month list with 355 mm of rainfall.
January is the driest month with 71 mm of precipitation.
March is the sunniest month with an average of 276 hours of sunshine.
No idea where to travel to this year? We have a tool that recommends destinations based on your ideal conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.
