Best time to travel sri lanka

What is the best time to travel to Sri Lanka? You will find the answer to that question in this blog post. In Sri Lanka, you can travel between the tropical, subtropical and temperate climates in as little as 4 hours. You can also travel between the beaches, mountains or plains in a similar amount of time.

There is a lot of attraction for foreigners to visit Sri Lanka. There is also an attraction for luxury train travel, adventure travel, surf travel, solo travel, when traveling here.

Among the places that many tourists visit the most are Colombo, Kandy, Sigiriya, Ella, Galle, Nuwara Eliya, Bentota, Yala National Park, Mirissa, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Hikkaduwa, Horton Plains National Park, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Udawalawe National Park, Minneriya National Park, Unatuna, Arugam Bay, Bundala National Park, Haputale, and Kataragama. In addition, there are many other places that tourists visit in Sri Lanka.

Things to see in Sri Lanka

Tourists come to Sri Lanka to see many things, both man-made and natural. Among them, tourists are most interested in things like beaches, waterfalls, ancient ruins, religious sites, cultural attractions, adventure, surfing, etc.

Many people also enjoy traveling to national parks on safari, watching wild elephants, taking photographs, and riding bicycles. Many people also enjoy riding elephants.

Before discussing the topic of “Best time to travel Sri Lanka”, the following are the points that you should consider.

Weather in Sri Lanka

The climate of Sri Lanka over a 12-month period is characterized by four distinct seasons:

First Inter-Monsoon (March – April)

The characteristic weather of this period is thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon and evening. The distribution of rainfall during this period shows that the entire south-western part of the hills receives 250 mm of rainfall, with some places on the south-western slopes receiving an excess of 700 mm (Karagala 771 mm). Except for the marked difference observed in the Jaffna peninsula (Jaffna 78 mm, Elephant Pass 85 mm), the rainfall varies from 100 mm to 250 mm over most parts of the island.

South-West Monsoon (May – September)

The windy weather during this monsoon season removes the heat that prevailed during the first inter-monsoon season. Southwest monsoon showers can be expected during both the day and night, and it may be intermittent, mainly in the southwest part of the island. Rainfall during this period varies between 100 mm and 3000 mm. The central highlands on the western slopes receive the highest rainfall (Ginigathhena 3267 mm, Watawala 3252 mm, Norton 3121 mm). Rainfall decreases rapidly from these peaks to higher elevations, and in Nuwara Eliya it also drops to 853 mm. This variation is slower towards the southwestern coast and during this 5-month period the southwestern coast receives rainfall of 1000 mm to 1600 mm. The lowest values are recorded in the northern and southeastern regions.

Second Intermonsoon (October – November)

Afternoon or evening thunderstorms are typical weather conditions during this period. Unlike the first intermonsoon, depressions and cyclones from the Bay of Bengal are common during this second intermonsoon. Under these conditions, the entire island experiences strong winds and widespread rains, sometimes causing floods and landslides.

The October – November intermonsoon is the period with the most balanced rainfall distribution in Sri Lanka. Overall, the entire island receives an excess of 400 mm during this period, while the southwestern slopes receive higher rainfall in the range of 750 mm – 1200 mm. (1219 mm was reported from the Yatiyanthota Wewelthalawa Estate)

North-East Monsoon (December – February)

A dry winter wind blowing from India will bring relatively cool but dry weather to most parts of the island, with the exception of a few very cold mornings. Cloudless skies will bring bright sunny days and pleasant cool nights.

The highest rainfall values during this period are recorded from the north-eastern slopes of the hills and the eastern slopes of the Knuckles/Rangala range. The highest rainfall during this period was recorded from the Cobonella estate (1281 mm) and the lowest rainfall was recorded from the west coast area around Puttalam (177 mm from Hilawath).

Sri Lanka’s climate varies depending on its location.

Sri Lanka’s location between 5 and 10 degrees north latitude gives the island a warm climate with moderate sea breezes and significant humidity. The average temperature ranges from a low of 15.8°C in Nuwara Eliya in the central highlands (with occasional frosts on a few days during the winter) to a high of 29°C in Trincomalee on the north-eastern coast (with temperatures reaching 37°C).

The average annual temperature for the island as a whole ranges from 16°C to 28°C. Day and night temperatures can vary by 4-7. January is the coolest month, so residents of the highlands, especially in the mountains, need to wear coats and winter clothing. The warmest period is May, before the summer monsoon.

The rainfall pattern

The rainfall pattern is influenced by the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal and is divided into four main periods. The first is from mid-May to October, when the southwesterly winds bring moisture from the Indian Ocean.

When these winds approach the central mountain slopes, they bring heavy rainfall to the mountain slopes and the southwestern parts of the island. Some areas on the windward side receive about 250 cm of rainfall per month, but the eastern and northeastern leeward slopes receive very little rainfall.

The second period is the intermonsoon months of October and November.

During this period, sudden storms occur, causing dark clouds and heavy rains in the southwestern, northeastern and eastern parts of the island. In the third period, from December to March, the northeasterly monsoon winds bring moisture from the Bay of Bengal. During these months, the northeastern parts of the island receive about 250 cm of rainfall. 125 mm of rainfall can cause flooding. Another inter-monsoon period occurs from March to May, with light variable winds and evening thunderstorms.

Humidity is generally high in the southwest and mountainous areas, and seasonal rainfall patterns affect this.

For example – daytime humidity in Colombo is 70 percent throughout the year, rising to 900 during the monsoon season in June. In the Anuradhapura area, daytime humidity is as low as 60% during the inter-monsoon season, March, but rises to 79% during the rainy season in November and December. In the hilly Kandy, daytime humidity generally ranges between 70% and 79%.