Language

The climate of Sri Lanka, city by city

This page lists the 60 cities in Sri Lanka for which climate normals are available. Each entry covers temperature, rainfall and how the climate changed between 1940 and 2025, computed from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Average across cities

26.3°C

Annual rainfall

2,048mm

Spread between cities

7.7°C

Warming

+1.4°C

Departure from normal across the country's largest cities, 1940–2025

Rankings

Across the 60 cities in this country with a measured climate.

The warmest

  1. 1Point Pedro27.7 °C
  2. 2Valvettithurai27.7 °C
  3. 3Ampara27.6 °C
  4. 4Vakarai27.6 °C
  5. 5Jaffna27.5 °C
  6. 6Trincomalee27.5 °C
  7. 7Batticaloa27.5 °C
  8. 8Pottuvil27.5 °C
  9. 9Eravur Town27.5 °C
  10. 10Mannar27.4 °C

The coldest

  1. 1Nuwara Eliya20 °C
  2. 2Kandy22.3 °C
  3. 3Hatton22.3 °C
  4. 4Ratnapura22.9 °C
  5. 5Badulla22.9 °C
  6. 6Gampola23.6 °C
  7. 7Matale25 °C
  8. 8Dambulla25.3 °C
  9. 9Kegalle25.8 °C
  10. 10Kurunegala26.1 °C

The wettest

  1. 1Ratnapura4,254 mm
  2. 2Hatton3,904 mm
  3. 3Kalutara2,827 mm
  4. 4Bentota2,827 mm
  5. 5Beruwala2,827 mm
  6. 6Maharagama2,740 mm
  7. 7Moratuwa2,740 mm
  8. 8Homagama2,740 mm
  9. 9Panadura2,740 mm
  10. 10Ambalangoda2,571 mm

Frequently asked questions

What is the hottest city in Sri Lanka?

The hottest city in Sri Lanka is Point Pedro, with an average annual temperature of 27.7 °C.

What is the coldest city in Sri Lanka?

The coldest city in Sri Lanka is Nuwara Eliya, with an average annual temperature of 20.0 °C.

What is the wettest city in Sri Lanka?

The wettest city in Sri Lanka is Ratnapura, with 4,254 mm of precipitation per year.

Has the climate of Sri Lanka warmed?

Based on its largest cities, Sri Lanka warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025.

Cities by region

Central Province6

Eastern Province7

North Central Province1

Northern Province6

North Western Province3

Sabaragamuwa Province2

Southern Province9

Uva Province2

Western Province24