Colombo, Sri Lanka Climate & Monthly Averages

The climate of Colombo

Colombo has one of the steadier climates in our dataset. Average highs move only 2°C across the whole year - from 84°F (29°C) in November to 88°F (31°C) in April - so the practical difference between seasons here is rainfall and daylight, not warmth.

Climate quick facts

• Hottest month: April - highs near 88°F (31°C)
• Coldest month: November - highs near 84°F (29°C)
• Decade extremes (2015-2024): 96°F (36°C) high · 65°F (18°C) low
• Wettest month: May (30 rainy days) · Sunniest: February (11.1 h sun/day)
• Climate type: tropical wet-and-dry
• Annual swing: 2°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 5°C
• Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 4
• Average humidity: 84%

Temperatures through the year

November sits at the other end of the year: 84°F (29°C) by day, 74°F (24°C) at night. Warmth peaks in April: highs of 88°F (31°C), lows of 77°F (25°C). The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 96°F (36°C) and bottoms at 65°F (18°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. Relative humidity averages 84% across the year, more humid than 95% of the 3496 cities in our dataset - enough that summer afternoons feel hotter than the thermometer says, which is what the dew point converter is for.

Rain, sun and snow

The wettest month is May (16.5 inches (418 mm) across 30 days) and the driest February. Sunshine averages 9.5 hours a day over the year, peaking in February at 11.1 hours. Days and nights are about 5°C apart on average - narrower than all but 4% of the 3496 cities in our dataset. Average highs hold at or above 30°C for 4 months of the year, January through April being the unbroken run.

How Colombo compares

• Annual precipitation is 111.6 inches (2836 mm) - wetter than 97% of the 3496 cities we track.
• Rain or snow reaches the ground on 280 days a year - more wet days than 97% of the 3496 cities we track.
• Its warmest and coolest months are 2°C apart - a steadier year than all but 4% of the 3496 cities we track.

Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.

Best time to visit Colombo

The best time to visit Colombo is generally June to September and January to February, when humidity and rainfall are at their lowest, which is what actually varies here. Daytime temperatures in that window sit near 85°F (29°C), with rain on about 22 days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in June.

Pack for Colombo with light clothing for the warm months, proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here and moisture-wicking fabrics for the humidity. April nights average 77°F (25°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.