Weather in Sri Lanka
Live weather maps, monsoon calendar & best times to visit each region
Live Weather Map
Monsoon Calendar
Sri Lanka has two monsoon seasons: Southwest (Yala) from May-September affecting the west & south, and Northeast (Maha) from December-February affecting the north & east.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West & South Coast | Dry | Dry | Mixed | Mixed | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Mixed | Mixed | Dry |
| East & North Coast | Wet | Wet | Mixed | Mixed | Dry | Dry | Dry | Dry | Dry | Mixed | Wet | Wet |
| Hill Country | Dry | Dry | Mixed | Mixed | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Mixed | Mixed | Dry |
| Season | NE Monsoon | NE Monsoon | Inter-monsoon | Inter-monsoon | SW Monsoon | SW Monsoon | SW Monsoon | SW Monsoon | SW Monsoon | Inter-monsoon | Inter-monsoon | NE Monsoon |
Best Time to Visit
West & South Coast
December - March
Best time for beach holidays. Dry, sunny weather with calm seas. December to March is probably the single best time of year to visit, as it's dry in the Hill Country and on the west and south coasts.
East Coast
April - September
Ideal for the east coast beaches. Whale watching season in Trincomalee. It's dry on the east and southeastern coasts during the Yala monsoon.
Hill Country
January - April
Perfect for tea plantation visits and hiking. Cool temperatures - at 1868m, Nuwara Eliya is the island's coldest place with a daily mean temperature of 15°C in December.
Whale Watching
December - April
Blue whales off Mirissa. Best visibility and calm seas.
Weather Through the Year (Colombo)
Average daytime maximum temperatures and rainfall days per month.
| Metric | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Max Temp | 30°C | 31°C | 31°C | 31°C | 30°C | 29°C | 28°C | 29°C | 29°C | 29°C | 29°C | 29°C |
| Days of Rainfall | 6 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 12 |
Sri Lanka's Big Festivals
Plan your trip around these spectacular celebrations.
Vel Festival
Hindus celebrate this festival in Colombo (and Jaffna), where the golden chariot of Murugan (Skanda), the Hindu god of war, is ceremonially hauled from Pettah to Bambalapitiya.
Kandy Esala Perahera
Perhaps Sri Lanka's most spectacular festival, this great procession honours the sacred tooth relic and is the climax of 10 days and nights of celebrations.
Vesak Poya
Paper lights and lanterns adorn Buddhist homes for this two-day festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. Colombo is a riot of colours.
Duruthu Perahera
Held during the full moon in the month of Duruthu at Colombo's Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, this festival of lights, dancing, parades and drumming celebrates the first of Buddha's three visits to Sri Lanka.
Kataragama Festival
Pilgrims walk for a month to attend this festival commemorating the triumph of the war god Murugan with acts of ritual self-mortification and walking on coals.
Galle Literary Festival
The great and the good of the global and local literary world descend on dreamy Galle for a week of readings and literary events, alongside art, children's and culinary festivals.
Nallur Festival
This enormous Hindu festival at Jaffna's Nallur Kandaswamy Temple is held over 25 days, climaxing with parades of juggernaut floats and displays of self-mutilation by devotees.
Unduvap Poya
Thousands visit the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura to commemorate the arrival of the original tree, brought from India by Sangamitta, daughter of Indian emperor Ashoka.
Shoulder-Season Discounts
Hotel prices are generally highest December to March, peaking over Christmas and New Year. For shoulder-season discounts, try April and October, when the weather is decent country-wide, save for a few inter-monsoon showers. You'll find better rates and fewer crowds at popular attractions.