Considering it's not the largest country, the weather in Sri Lanka can be a little difficult to get your head around. Here’s a rundown of the what to expect month by month.

1. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO
VISIT SRI LANKA

2. Considering it’s not the largest country, the weather
in Sri Lanka can be a little difficult to get your head
around.
The good news is that, due to its equatorial position,
the temperatures don’t tend to fluctuate too much year
round. The deciding factor for temperature then is not
when you go but where.
On the coast and the lowlands (which include the
sights of the Cultural Triangle) average daytime
temperatures hover around the 26–30°C mark.
As you climb up into the highlands, average
temperatures fall. Kandy, at 500m, enjoys mild highs
of 18–22°C, whilst in the scenic highest part of the
island, Tea Country, average temperatures fall to
14–17°C and night can feel chilly.
What does change throughout the year though is
the amount of rainfall you’ll experience. Sri Lanka is
affected by two monsoons: the Yala and the Maha.
The Yala monsoon brings rainfall to the south west (so
affecting the beaches from Negombo to Hambantota
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and Tea Country especially) from the end of April to
September with the wettest months in May and June.
The Maha is less severe but affects the east coast (the
Trincomalee coast and Passekudah) from November to
March with November and December the wettest.
The upshot of all of this is that you can generally find
good weather somewhere on the island whenever you
choose to visit.
Here’s a rundown of the what to expect month by
month.
INTRODUCTION

3. The weather in Sri Lanka is wonderful at this time of
year making it a great time to visit with warm dry
sunny days typifying most of the island.
The south and west coasts are hot and dry so it’s a
great time of year to combine these beaches with a
tour of the interior.
In January and February the Maha monsoon is still
affecting the east coast areas of Trincomalee and
Passekudah so it’s not the best time to be enjoying the
beaches here.
JANUARY TO MARCH
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January February March
C R C R C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 31 7 31 9 31 14
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 28 13 29 11 31 6
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 21 11 22 9 23 9
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 28 13 29 11 31 6
°C Average daily maximum temperatures R Monthly rainfall in cm

4. APRIL
April can often be the hottest month of the year with
the least rainfall.
Temperatures and humidity start to rise in the Cultural
Triangle but this is one of the best times to be visiting
the higher elevations of Kandy and the Tea Country
with the evenings not so cool.
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April
C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 32 26
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 33 6
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 23 18
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 33 6
°C Average daily maximum temperatures
R Monthly rainfall in cm

5. MAY - JUNE
The Yala monsoon affects the south and west of the
country including Tea Country and the beaches.
Seas can often also be very choppy here during this
time and swimming is often not recommended.
Rains can be heavy but are often short with glorious
sunshine in between, particularly in May.
If you are looking for a stretch of sand to lay you
head, now is the time to start looking north east to the
Trincomalee Coast and Passekudah.
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May June
C R C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 31 39 30 24
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 35 5 35 3
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 22 16 20 18
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 35 5 35 3
°C Average daily maximum temperatures R Monthly rainfall in cm

6. JULY - SEPTEMBER
July to September is known as the inter-monsoon
season where you can still expect showers but also
some glorious weather – all in all a great time to be
exploring.
In June the tail end of the Yala monsoon still affect the
beaches on the south and west coast so the eastern
beaches are still your best bet for warm, dry and
sunny days. In August the rainfall drops significantly
in the south west so the beaches here become a good
choice once again with September becoming wetter
once again. The Indian Ocean coast on the east is still
glorious in both months.
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July August September
C R C R C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 30 18 30 16 30 27
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 34 6 34 8 34 10
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 20 16 20 14 20 16
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 34 6 34 8 34 10
°C Average daily maximum temperatures R Monthly rainfall in cm

7. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER
The wettest months of the year throughout the country
with the tail end of the Yala monsoon affecting the
south west in early October and the maha, or north-
east monsoon, affecting all of the country from late
October onwards.
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October November
C R C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 30 31 30 18
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 32 22 29 34
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 21 24 20 21
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 29 34 28 37
°C Average daily maximum temperatures R Monthly rainfall in cm

8. DECEMBER
December is generally a great time to travel with hot,
dry weather following the end of the monsoon in the
beach resorts of the south west coast.
The north east is still feeling the effects of the Monsoon
though so heading south is your best bet for time on
the beach.
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December
C R
BENTOTA (SOUTH WEST) 3 18
CULTURAL TRIANGLE 28 17
NUWARA ELIYA (TEA COUNTRY) 20 21
TRINCOMALEE (NORTH EAST) 28 37
°C Average daily maximum temperatures
R Monthly rainfall in cm

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