Colombo climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Colombo?

Colombo has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 2,285 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Colombo?

The hottest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 27 February 2024, reaching 34.2 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Colombo?

The coldest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 24 December 1971, at 20.8 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Colombo?

Almost never: Colombo sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Colombo warmed?

Yes: Colombo warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Colombo?

The wettest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 15 May 2016, with 186 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Colombo?

The windiest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 27 December 2000, with winds reaching 51.1 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Colombo?

The warmest month in Colombo is April (27.8 °C on average); the coldest is November (26.3 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Colombo?

Colombo receives on average 2,285 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 262 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Colombo?

Colombo gets on average 10.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,723 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Colombo (Sri Lanka) has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 2,285 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is April (27.8 °C on average) and the coldest is November (26.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.

Colombo averages 0 frost days, 71 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 262 rainy days per year.

Colombo has warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.16 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 34.2 °C (on 27 February 2024) and the coldest 20.8 °C (on 24 December 1971).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

ColomboWestern Province

coords: 6.94°, 79.85°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AmTropical monsoonWarmest monthAprilColdest monthNovemberWettest monthOctoberDriest monthFebruary

Mean daily temperature

26.9°C

Average daily high

28.9°C

Average daily low

25.3°C

Annual rainfall

2,285mm

Sunshine / day

10.2h

Mean relative humidity

82%

Average peak wind

20.0km/h

Seasonal range

1.5°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

71 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

262 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

33.6 °C

Average feels-like low

28.7 °C

Average peak gust

34.6 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

365 d/yr

Solar radiation

19.1 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.4 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.75 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

34.2 °C

27 February 2024

Coldest day

20.8 °C

24 December 1971

Wettest day

186 mm

15 May 2016

Windiest day

51.1 km/h

27 December 2000

Strongest gust

83.2 km/h

30 November 2017

Hottest feels-like

41.0 °C

28 April 2024

Coldest feels-like

19.6 °C

13 February 1956

Sunniest day

12.1 h

1 June 1972

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	33.9 °C24 February 2025	23.2 °C4 February 2025	27.6 °C	2,314 mm	126
2024	34.2 °C27 February 2024	23.8 °C25 January 2024	28.0 °C	2,898 mm	182
2023	32.5 °C18 February 2023	22.2 °C13 January 2023	27.6 °C	3,102 mm	133
2022	33.1 °C17 January 2022	23.2 °C21 January 2022	27.4 °C	2,160 mm	121
2021	32.7 °C22 February 2021	22.7 °C11 February 2021	27.5 °C	2,524 mm	119
2020	34.1 °C11 February 2020	23.3 °C14 January 2020	27.9 °C	1,820 mm	169
2019	33.3 °C31 January 2019	22.9 °C19 January 2019	27.7 °C	2,336 mm	158
2018	33.0 °C15 February 2018	22.3 °C8 January 2018	27.2 °C	2,222 mm	121
2017	32.1 °C17 February 2017	22.0 °C8 January 2017	27.4 °C	2,032 mm	106
2016	33.5 °C28 February 2016	21.9 °C24 December 2016	27.9 °C	1,764 mm	154
2015	32.8 °C26 March 2015	23.2 °C11 January 2015	27.6 °C	2,687 mm	139
2014	33.4 °C14 March 2014	23.4 °C6 February 2014	27.4 °C	2,387 mm	116
2013	32.5 °C1 February 2013	22.7 °C14 January 2013	27.2 °C	2,019 mm	101
2012	32.4 °C3 February 2012	22.2 °C16 November 2012	27.3 °C	2,184 mm	77
2011	32.7 °C17 March 2011	21.8 °C14 January 2011	27.1 °C	2,158 mm	62
2010	33.1 °C11 March 2010	22.6 °C5 January 2010	27.4 °C	2,486 mm	113
2009	31.8 °C15 January 2009	22.4 °C6 February 2009	27.3 °C	2,222 mm	96
2008	31.3 °C17 February 2008	22.4 °C19 January 2008	27.1 °C	2,767 mm	36
2007	32.6 °C20 February 2007	22.2 °C1 January 2007	27.3 °C	2,275 mm	119
2006	31.9 °C19 March 2006	21.4 °C25 January 2006	27.2 °C	2,886 mm	85
2005	32.7 °C11 February 2005	22.4 °C27 December 2005	27.3 °C	2,235 mm	101
2004	33.0 °C9 March 2004	21.8 °C22 December 2004	27.3 °C	2,549 mm	113
2003	32.3 °C29 December 2003	22.2 °C2 January 2003	27.3 °C	2,276 mm	91
2002	32.5 °C23 February 2002	21.7 °C29 December 2002	27.2 °C	2,183 mm	87
2001	31.5 °C1 April 2001	21.4 °C11 February 2001	27.0 °C	1,867 mm	51
2000	31.2 °C15 November 2000	22.8 °C23 January 2000	26.8 °C	2,160 mm	28
1999	31.9 °C15 February 1999	21.3 °C31 January 1999	26.7 °C	2,441 mm	33
1998	33.8 °C4 March 1998	23.9 °C23 December 1998	27.7 °C	2,394 mm	136
1997	32.5 °C27 March 1997	21.9 °C28 January 1997	27.2 °C	2,473 mm	88
1996	32.6 °C18 February 1996	22.3 °C24 January 1996	26.9 °C	2,163 mm	66
1995	32.1 °C20 March 1995	22.6 °C24 January 1995	27.1 °C	2,089 mm	84
1994	31.7 °C27 December 1994	22.4 °C27 January 1994	26.8 °C	2,053 mm	50
1993	31.8 °C4 February 1993	21.4 °C9 February 1993	26.9 °C	2,113 mm	81
1992	32.1 °C8 April 1992	22.4 °C27 December 1992	27.0 °C	1,963 mm	101
1991	32.0 °C27 March 1991	22.1 °C29 January 1991	27.1 °C	2,022 mm	87
1990	32.1 °C8 February 1990	21.8 °C20 January 1990	27.1 °C	2,079 mm	84
1989	31.9 °C7 April 1989	22.4 °C23 January 1989	26.9 °C	2,191 mm	87
1988	32.6 °C29 January 1988	22.4 °C29 November 1988	27.3 °C	2,350 mm	107
1987	32.2 °C6 March 1987	22.8 °C2 February 1987	27.4 °C	1,926 mm	103
1986	31.1 °C5 March 1986	22.6 °C22 February 1986	26.8 °C	1,579 mm	46
1985	31.1 °C5 May 1985	22.6 °C25 November 1985	26.8 °C	2,231 mm	59
1984	31.2 °C25 February 1984	22.2 °C12 December 1984	26.5 °C	2,201 mm	18
1983	32.4 °C13 April 1983	21.2 °C4 January 1983	27.4 °C	1,573 mm	114
1982	31.6 °C30 January 1982	23.0 °C17 January 1982	27.0 °C	2,049 mm	97
1981	32.3 °C15 March 1981	21.6 °C7 January 1981	26.9 °C	1,606 mm	67
1980	32.3 °C21 February 1980	23.0 °C25 January 1980	27.2 °C	1,533 mm	102
1979	32.1 °C6 February 1979	22.8 °C11 January 1979	27.1 °C	2,247 mm	80
1978	33.4 °C27 February 1978	23.5 °C19 January 1978	26.8 °C	2,505 mm	88
1977	31.7 °C24 January 1977	21.9 °C30 January 1977	26.8 °C	2,088 mm	63
1976	31.8 °C28 January 1976	22.0 °C21 January 1976	26.7 °C	1,930 mm	74
1975	32.1 °C20 February 1975	20.8 °C10 January 1975	26.4 °C	2,492 mm	32
1974	32.2 °C9 February 1974	21.7 °C15 January 1974	26.5 °C	1,614 mm	59
1973	33.1 °C18 March 1973	22.6 °C12 December 1973	27.0 °C	2,145 mm	106
1972	32.1 °C21 February 1972	21.8 °C22 November 1972	26.8 °C	2,143 mm	58
1971	32.2 °C16 February 1971	20.8 °C24 December 1971	26.4 °C	2,008 mm	32
1970	31.6 °C9 March 1970	21.8 °C4 December 1970	26.7 °C	2,348 mm	37
1969	32.3 °C5 March 1969	22.4 °C3 January 1969	26.8 °C	2,732 mm	49
1968	32.6 °C12 March 1968	22.0 °C28 January 1968	26.5 °C	2,381 mm	34
1967	31.7 °C16 February 1967	22.3 °C7 January 1967	26.5 °C	3,182 mm	27
1966	32.0 °C9 March 1966	22.3 °C2 January 1966	26.6 °C	3,047 mm	28
1965	31.2 °C30 January 1965	23.0 °C11 January 1965	26.4 °C	3,470 mm	34
1964	32.4 °C13 February 1964	22.2 °C19 January 1964	26.5 °C	2,880 mm	38
1963	30.6 °C19 February 1963	22.2 °C24 January 1963	26.4 °C	2,671 mm	18
1962	31.3 °C2 March 1962	22.2 °C31 December 1962	26.6 °C	2,639 mm	23
1961	31.7 °C10 March 1961	21.2 °C19 February 1961	26.4 °C	2,197 mm	29
1960	31.3 °C18 February 1960	22.5 °C28 January 1960	26.4 °C	2,162 mm	30
1959	33.3 °C20 March 1959	23.5 °C4 January 1959	26.8 °C	2,325 mm	54
1958	33.7 °C7 March 1958	22.9 °C5 February 1958	26.8 °C	2,440 mm	54
1957	31.7 °C17 February 1957	21.7 °C26 January 1957	26.6 °C	2,243 mm	33
1956	30.9 °C24 February 1956	21.3 °C20 January 1956	26.1 °C	2,360 mm	17
1955	30.9 °C10 March 1955	21.8 °C30 December 1955	26.1 °C	2,833 mm	5
1954	31.8 °C1 March 1954	22.5 °C29 January 1954	26.2 °C	2,765 mm	26
1953	32.5 °C10 February 1953	22.1 °C30 January 1953	26.8 °C	1,731 mm	86
1952	32.7 °C29 January 1952	22.6 °C14 January 1952	26.8 °C	1,642 mm	100
1951	31.2 °C8 January 1951	22.6 °C6 January 1951	26.6 °C	1,889 mm	47
1950	31.8 °C5 February 1950	21.9 °C2 January 1950	26.5 °C	1,398 mm	42
1949	31.0 °C17 February 1949	22.8 °C11 January 1949	26.5 °C	1,949 mm	43
1948	31.4 °C2 March 1948	22.8 °C29 December 1948	26.5 °C	2,281 mm	16
1947	30.7 °C21 February 1947	22.0 °C29 December 1947	26.4 °C	1,931 mm	15
1946	32.7 °C14 March 1946	21.9 °C16 January 1946	26.4 °C	2,479 mm	40
1945	31.8 °C9 March 1945	21.4 °C5 January 1945	26.5 °C	2,561 mm	25
1944	31.7 °C18 February 1944	22.4 °C16 January 1944	26.2 °C	3,066 mm	11
1943	31.9 °C10 February 1943	21.9 °C20 January 1943	25.9 °C	2,607 mm	37
1942	31.4 °C8 February 1942	21.9 °C26 January 1942	26.1 °C	2,462 mm	13
1941	31.9 °C22 March 1941	22.4 °C15 January 1941	26.5 °C	2,551 mm	61
1940	31.2 °C28 March 1940	22.6 °C11 January 1940	26.3 °C	2,606 mm	28

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

29.6 °C

+0.7 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

126 d/yr

+55

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

2315 mm

+30 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	29.1 °C	-0.4 °C	154 mm	+97 mm
Feb	31.6 °C	+1.6 °C	33 mm	-16 mm
Mar	30.6 °C	+0.5 °C	91 mm	+5 mm
Apr	30.2 °C	+0.3 °C	257 mm	+97 mm
May	30.2 °C	+1.0 °C	210 mm	-94 mm
Jun	29.4 °C	+1.0 °C	220 mm	-57 mm
Jul	29.0 °C	+1.0 °C	122 mm	-82 mm
Aug	28.6 °C	+0.8 °C	84 mm	-105 mm
Sep	29.1 °C	+1.1 °C	146 mm	-80 mm
Oct	29.2 °C	+1.1 °C	365 mm	+61 mm
Nov	28.8 °C	+0.3 °C	531 mm	+253 mm
Dec	29.6 °C	+0.8 °C	102 mm	-48 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

33.9 °C

24 Feb 2025

Coldest day

23.2 °C

4 Feb 2025

Wettest day

178.0 mm

28 Nov 2025

Windiest day

45.1 km/h

28 Nov 2025

Strongest gust

81.7 km/h

28 Nov 2025

Hottest feels-like

39.3 °C

25 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

23.0 °C

28 Nov 2025

Sunniest day

12.0 h

30 Jun 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Colombo?

Colombo has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 2,285 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Colombo?

The hottest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 27 February 2024, reaching 34.2 °C.

What is the coldest day in Colombo?

The coldest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 24 December 1971, at 20.8 °C.

Does it snow in Colombo?

Almost never: Colombo sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Colombo warmed?

Yes: Colombo warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Colombo?

The wettest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 15 May 2016, with 186 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Colombo?

The windiest day measured in Colombo between 1940 and 2025 was 27 December 2000, with winds reaching 51.1 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Colombo?

The warmest month in Colombo is April (27.8 °C on average); the coldest is November (26.3 °C).

How much does it rain in Colombo?

Colombo receives on average 2,285 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 262 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Colombo?

Colombo gets on average 10.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,723 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Colombo?

Yes: Colombo has on average 365 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Colombo?

In Colombo, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 41.0 °C on 28 April 2024, and the lowest was 19.6 °C on 13 February 1956.

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