Climate
“The climate is temperate and attractive, without any difference of summer or winter. The vegetation is always luxuriant…”
- Fa Hien, Chinese Traveller, 5th century AD
Climatically, Sri Lanka has no off-season for tourists. Truly it is an ‘Island Paradise’. At sea level the temperature ranges from 25° to 28° C and in the hill country it varies from 12° to 16°C. Rainfall is received mainly during two monsoons with occasional inter-monsoonal showers. Heaviest rainfall is experienced during the southwest monsoon (May-September) with lesser rainfall in the northeast monsoon (December to February).
Temperature Chart - Fa Hien, Chinese Traveller, 5th century AD
Climatically, Sri Lanka has no off-season for tourists. Truly it is an ‘Island Paradise’. At sea level the temperature ranges from 25° to 28° C and in the hill country it varies from 12° to 16°C. Rainfall is received mainly during two monsoons with occasional inter-monsoonal showers. Heaviest rainfall is experienced during the southwest monsoon (May-September) with lesser rainfall in the northeast monsoon (December to February).
| Jan-April | May-August | Sept-Dec | ||||
| Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | Max. | Min. | |
| Colombo | 30OC | 22OC | 30OC | 24OC | 29OC | 22OC |
| Kandy | 31OC | 17OC | 29OC | 21OC | 28OC | 18OC |
| Nuwara Eliya | 21OC | 14OC | 18OC | 16OC | 18OC | 15OC |
| Trincomalee | 32OC | 24OC | 33OC | 25OC | 33OC | 23OC |
