Climate and Weather of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, due to its variations in tropical climates, has different rainfall patterns and amounts of precipitation. This therefore creates differences between a rainforest climate, tropical savannah climate, and a tropical monsoon climate.
Monsoon Seasons
Although Sri Lanka welcomes visitors throughout the year, the two rainy seasons sometimes make people confused about when to visit. The monsoon periods can be summarized below: the Yala Monsoon brings rain to the west, southwest, and inland areas from the end of April to September, while the Maha Monsoon affects the east coast from October to March.
Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka
If you're going to the west and south coasts, or inland, the weather is generally best from December to March. For the east and north coasts, the best time to visit for maximum chance of good weather is April/May to September.
Seasons for Tourism and Prices
Worth noting is that from December and March, Sri Lanka falls within its high season and prices are relatively higher. From May up to August, the country experiences the low season due to Yala monsoon. However, with pleasant weather in the north and east and reduced prices across the country, this period may present a great opportunity to explore Sri Lanka.
Select a Month of Interest
Check the conditions for any month of the year.
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.