Weather and climate in Sri Lanka

The monsoon seasons are warm and humid in Sri Lanka. As monsoons can influence various places, it is important to plan your trip to Sri Lanka taking into account the weather and ideal time to travel there. The geography of Sri Lanka affects the winds, relative humidity, temperature, and rainfall. While the east coast has a surge from May to September, the peak season is between December and mid-April on both coasts. The west and southwest benefit from excellent weather during the monsoon season, which lasts from October to February.

Main monsoon season in Sri Lanka

Southwestern monsoon

the southwest monsoon is a major monsoon pattern in Sri Lanka and the season is from May to September. This monsoon brings rain to cities like Colombo and Galle in the southwest region. The rainfall during this time ranges from one hundred to three thousand milliliters. With this, areas like Ginigathhena, and Watawala will see the highest rainfall of over 3000 milliliters.

Northeastern monsoon

This monsoon season runs from October to January. Northeast monsoon affects the northeast region and has the potential to affect the entire country. Generally, the highest rainfall occurs along the northeastern slopes of the central hills.

Inter-monsoonal period

The first inter-monsoon affects the northwestern part of the country. It lasts between the months of March and April. Heavy thunderstorms are possible. The average rainfall of this inter-monsoon falls in the range of 100 to 750mm. as well as the second inter-monsoon season lasts from October to November when it can rain anywhere on the island. These days the rains will clearly fall in the evening. And if this rain continues, floods and landslides may occur. Average rainfall during the second inter-monsoon may be around 400 mm.

January, February, March, and April are the best months of the year to visit Sri Lanka when most parts of it are not affected by monsoon. In addition, May, August, and December are also a good time to visit Sri Lanka.

The best beach weather Period

The south-west

Peak season: December to March
mid-season: October, November, and April
Monsoon season: May to September

The east coast

Peak season: April to September
mid-season: October
Monsoon season: November to March

The central and northern sections of the West Coast

Peak season: February to October (but high winds/big seas from June to September)
mid-season: October
Monsoon season: November to January

Climate zones

Sri Lanka’s climate is tropical, with hot temperatures moderated by oceanic winds. The island has three distinct climate regions: the dry zone, the central highlands, and the wet zone. The monsoon winds and central highlands provide shelter, influencing the climate.

Wet zone (Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Galle)

The southwest portion of Sri Lanka’s central highlands is covered by the wet zone. The southwestern monsoon brings a high average annual rainfall of around 2500 mm to the region. The southwestern monsoon brings rain to this region from May to September, along with inter-monsoon rains in April and October.

Dry zone (Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Dambulla, Anuradhapura)

The arid zone, which mostly encompasses the northern and eastern regions, has a mean annual rainfall of less than 1750 mm. The northern monsoon, which occurs between December and March. The rest of the year has relatively little precipitation, with a pronounced extended dry season from May to September.

Intermediate zone

The wet zone and dry zone are divided by the intermediate zone. between 1750 and 2500 mm each year, with a brief and less noticeable dry season.

Arid region

The northeastern monsoon produces the least quantity of rain during a brief period along the dry northwest and southeast shores. Less than 1750 mm of rainfall occurs a year, and the drought season is protracted.