Kurunegala climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Kurunegala?

Kurunegala has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.1 °C and it receives 1,831 mm of precipitation per year.

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

The hottest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 22 March 1978, reaching 39.1 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Kurunegala?

The coldest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 11 February 2001, at 14.8 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Kurunegala?

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

Q: Has the climate of Kurunegala warmed?

Yes: Kurunegala warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Kurunegala?

The wettest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 15 May 2016, with 254 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Kurunegala?

The windiest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 24 November 1978, with winds reaching 31.3 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Kurunegala?

The warmest month in Kurunegala is March (27.8 °C on average); the coldest is December (25.1 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Kurunegala?

Kurunegala receives on average 1,831 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 246 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Kurunegala?

Kurunegala gets on average 9.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,577 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Kurunegala (Sri Lanka) has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.1 °C and it receives 1,831 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 March (27.8 °C on average) and the coldest is December (25.1 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.

Kurunegala averages 0 frost days, 184 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 246 rainy days per year.

Kurunegala has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 39.1 °C (on 22 March 1978) and the coldest 14.8 °C (on 11 February 2001).

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

KurunegalaNorth Western Province

coords: 7.48°, 80.37°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AmTropical monsoonWarmest monthMarchColdest monthDecemberWettest monthOctoberDriest monthFebruary

Mean daily temperature

26.1°C

Average daily high

30.3°C

Average daily low

23.2°C

Annual rainfall

1,831mm

Sunshine / day

9.8h

Mean relative humidity

81%

Average peak wind

15.0km/h

Seasonal range

2.7°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

184 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

246 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

34.7 °C

Average feels-like low

26.7 °C

Average peak gust

36.7 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

356 d/yr

Solar radiation

18.4 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.8 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.73 · 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

39.1 °C

22 March 1978

Coldest day

14.8 °C

11 February 2001

Wettest day

254 mm

15 May 2016

Windiest day

31.3 km/h

24 November 1978

Strongest gust

75.2 km/h

16 August 2018

Hottest feels-like

44.7 °C

30 April 2024

Coldest feels-like

14.6 °C

25 January 2006

Sunniest day

12.2 h

14 May 1987

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	35.9 °C21 March 2025	20.3 °C4 February 2025	26.8 °C	2,373 mm	262
2024	38.5 °C16 March 2024	19.2 °C25 January 2024	27.4 °C	2,381 mm	291
2023	36.9 °C18 March 2023	18.3 °C13 January 2023	27.0 °C	2,386 mm	291
2022	35.1 °C4 February 2022	18.0 °C8 December 2022	26.5 °C	1,910 mm	233
2021	36.2 °C1 March 2021	19.6 °C11 February 2021	26.7 °C	2,286 mm	240
2020	37.9 °C2 April 2020	19.2 °C15 January 2020	27.2 °C	1,709 mm	272
2019	38.2 °C14 April 2019	19.3 °C19 January 2019	27.2 °C	1,764 mm	295
2018	37.4 °C24 March 2018	17.9 °C7 January 2018	26.6 °C	1,858 mm	227
2017	36.7 °C8 April 2017	17.7 °C8 January 2017	26.8 °C	1,710 mm	258
2016	38.2 °C11 March 2016	17.2 °C25 December 2016	27.4 °C	1,630 mm	266
2015	36.8 °C22 March 2015	18.3 °C18 February 2015	26.9 °C	2,462 mm	280
2014	38.1 °C30 March 2014	18.4 °C6 February 2014	26.6 °C	2,331 mm	230
2013	35.8 °C9 April 2013	19.8 °C17 January 2013	26.4 °C	1,949 mm	208
2012	36.6 °C24 March 2012	18.7 °C16 January 2012	26.7 °C	1,600 mm	282
2011	35.6 °C6 April 2011	16.6 °C28 December 2011	26.4 °C	2,161 mm	214
2010	38.6 °C21 March 2010	17.6 °C6 January 2010	26.7 °C	2,352 mm	207
2009	37.1 °C2 March 2009	18.0 °C13 February 2009	26.7 °C	1,822 mm	216
2008	33.9 °C22 February 2008	16.6 °C25 February 2008	26.3 °C	2,159 mm	221
2007	38.7 °C28 March 2007	17.6 °C5 January 2007	26.6 °C	1,824 mm	215
2006	34.9 °C20 February 2006	15.4 °C24 January 2006	26.5 °C	2,103 mm	231
2005	36.6 °C22 March 2005	18.7 °C29 December 2005	26.6 °C	1,652 mm	230
2004	37.0 °C8 March 2004	15.9 °C22 December 2004	26.5 °C	1,805 mm	204
2003	35.4 °C6 April 2003	18.8 °C2 January 2003	26.5 °C	1,615 mm	208
2002	35.9 °C4 March 2002	18.2 °C28 December 2002	26.5 °C	1,872 mm	210
2001	37.3 °C13 March 2001	14.8 °C11 February 2001	26.3 °C	1,713 mm	165
2000	35.2 °C20 March 2000	19.0 °C21 January 2000	25.9 °C	1,662 mm	154
1999	37.3 °C25 March 1999	15.9 °C31 January 1999	25.9 °C	1,643 mm	129
1998	38.8 °C27 March 1998	19.9 °C17 December 1998	27.1 °C	1,787 mm	206
1997	37.5 °C19 March 1997	18.4 °C9 February 1997	26.7 °C	2,054 mm	263
1996	36.9 °C23 March 1996	17.9 °C25 December 1996	26.2 °C	1,980 mm	181
1995	36.8 °C23 March 1995	19.2 °C13 February 1995	26.4 °C	1,657 mm	189
1994	35.2 °C9 March 1994	19.3 °C3 March 1994	26.1 °C	1,852 mm	161
1993	35.6 °C17 February 1993	16.5 °C9 February 1993	26.2 °C	1,948 mm	179
1992	36.7 °C24 March 1992	18.4 °C13 February 1992	26.2 °C	1,504 mm	169
1991	38.3 °C27 March 1991	17.6 °C1 December 1991	26.4 °C	1,612 mm	223
1990	35.8 °C7 March 1990	16.3 °C22 January 1990	26.4 °C	1,841 mm	197
1989	37.9 °C7 April 1989	17.1 °C7 February 1989	26.2 °C	1,916 mm	191
1988	36.1 °C2 April 1988	16.1 °C8 February 1988	26.3 °C	1,812 mm	205
1987	37.4 °C15 April 1987	18.9 °C2 February 1987	26.8 °C	1,633 mm	247
1986	36.3 °C7 April 1986	18.3 °C22 February 1986	26.4 °C	1,197 mm	234
1985	35.4 °C29 March 1985	18.5 °C25 November 1985	26.0 °C	1,669 mm	155
1984	34.3 °C25 March 1984	17.3 °C14 December 1984	25.7 °C	2,027 mm	141
1983	37.9 °C21 April 1983	17.4 °C4 January 1983	26.9 °C	1,212 mm	243
1982	37.2 °C5 March 1982	18.4 °C16 February 1982	26.5 °C	1,526 mm	217
1981	36.8 °C10 March 1981	16.3 °C8 December 1981	26.2 °C	1,358 mm	207
1980	38.2 °C27 March 1980	18.2 °C30 January 1980	26.5 °C	1,404 mm	236
1979	38.9 °C27 March 1979	18.8 °C12 January 1979	26.7 °C	1,622 mm	235
1978	39.1 °C22 March 1978	19.6 °C21 January 1978	26.1 °C	2,032 mm	197
1977	37.1 °C18 March 1977	17.0 °C28 January 1977	26.1 °C	1,643 mm	198
1976	38.2 °C25 March 1976	18.4 °C26 February 1976	26.1 °C	1,480 mm	229
1975	38.2 °C27 March 1975	15.4 °C3 December 1975	25.8 °C	1,731 mm	153
1974	37.8 °C29 March 1974	16.6 °C16 January 1974	25.8 °C	1,251 mm	187
1973	38.1 °C16 March 1973	17.6 °C17 January 1973	26.2 °C	1,769 mm	208
1972	37.3 °C12 March 1972	15.9 °C22 November 1972	26.1 °C	1,946 mm	200
1971	35.7 °C28 March 1971	17.3 °C20 January 1971	25.5 °C	1,754 mm	154
1970	36.3 °C3 April 1970	16.3 °C4 December 1970	25.8 °C	1,718 mm	141
1969	36.8 °C31 March 1969	18.5 °C30 January 1969	26.0 °C	1,967 mm	172
1968	35.9 °C1 March 1968	17.3 °C28 January 1968	25.7 °C	1,993 mm	135
1967	36.7 °C9 April 1967	16.6 °C10 February 1967	25.7 °C	2,095 mm	130
1966	35.3 °C23 March 1966	17.1 °C2 January 1966	25.7 °C	2,012 mm	131
1965	35.7 °C10 March 1965	20.0 °C25 January 1965	25.4 °C	2,386 mm	129
1964	35.7 °C21 April 1964	18.5 °C9 March 1964	25.5 °C	1,897 mm	122
1963	34.8 °C10 May 1963	18.9 °C24 January 1963	25.6 °C	1,891 mm	134
1962	34.9 °C17 March 1962	18.9 °C2 March 1962	25.5 °C	1,960 mm	105
1961	35.5 °C13 April 1961	17.9 °C27 February 1961	25.6 °C	1,443 mm	113
1960	35.5 °C25 March 1960	19.0 °C28 January 1960	25.5 °C	1,844 mm	102
1959	37.5 °C18 March 1959	20.6 °C3 January 1959	26.1 °C	1,599 mm	145
1958	35.3 °C6 March 1958	19.2 °C5 February 1958	25.8 °C	1,895 mm	130
1957	36.1 °C31 March 1957	18.3 °C27 January 1957	25.8 °C	1,834 mm	125
1956	35.6 °C5 March 1956	16.5 °C22 January 1956	25.1 °C	1,710 mm	95
1955	33.5 °C5 April 1955	17.8 °C5 February 1955	25.0 °C	2,174 mm	72
1954	36.1 °C3 March 1954	18.5 °C29 January 1954	25.1 °C	2,343 mm	87
1953	36.8 °C16 March 1953	18.6 °C31 January 1953	26.1 °C	1,416 mm	215
1952	37.1 °C31 March 1952	17.4 °C15 January 1952	26.2 °C	1,202 mm	191
1951	36.3 °C8 March 1951	18.7 °C5 January 1951	25.9 °C	1,799 mm	180
1950	36.3 °C5 March 1950	18.4 °C2 January 1950	25.9 °C	1,165 mm	191
1949	36.7 °C12 March 1949	18.7 °C24 January 1949	25.6 °C	1,131 mm	162
1948	34.3 °C5 March 1948	20.0 °C26 February 1948	25.6 °C	1,891 mm	144
1947	32.9 °C22 March 1947	18.9 °C29 December 1947	25.3 °C	1,925 mm	100
1946	35.8 °C13 March 1946	17.9 °C29 January 1946	25.2 °C	2,042 mm	104
1945	35.2 °C26 March 1945	15.3 °C5 January 1945	25.3 °C	1,969 mm	114
1944	35.8 °C20 February 1944	17.6 °C6 February 1944	25.1 °C	2,048 mm	100
1943	35.2 °C5 March 1943	17.7 °C18 February 1943	24.7 °C	1,871 mm	71
1942	32.7 °C15 February 1942	17.9 °C2 February 1942	24.7 °C	1,997 mm	74
1941	36.5 °C3 April 1941	16.4 °C29 January 1941	25.2 °C	2,068 mm	123
1940	34.8 °C3 March 1940	18.0 °C14 January 1940	25.0 °C	2,249 mm	101

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

30.9 °C

+0.6 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

262 d/yr

+78

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

2373 mm

+542 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	29.3 °C	-0.8 °C	168 mm	+115 mm
Feb	33.5 °C	+1.1 °C	10 mm	-29 mm
Mar	33.9 °C	+0.1 °C	88 mm	+4 mm
Apr	32.3 °C	-0.1 °C	172 mm	+13 mm
May	31.4 °C	+0.9 °C	174 mm	-6 mm
Jun	30.3 °C	+1.2 °C	151 mm	-28 mm
Jul	30.4 °C	+1.4 °C	129 mm	-30 mm
Aug	30.2 °C	+1.2 °C	79 mm	-74 mm
Sep	30.6 °C	+1.4 °C	119 mm	-40 mm
Oct	30.4 °C	+1.0 °C	485 mm	+201 mm
Nov	29.2 °C	-0.3 °C	734 mm	+475 mm
Dec	30.1 °C	+0.9 °C	65 mm	-60 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

35.9 °C

21 Mar 2025

Coldest day

20.3 °C

4 Feb 2025

Wettest day

201.2 mm

28 Nov 2025

Windiest day

28.4 km/h

28 May 2025

Strongest gust

68.4 km/h

28 Nov 2025

Hottest feels-like

42.0 °C

22 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

22.5 °C

4 Feb 2025

Sunniest day

12.1 h

7 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 Kurunegala?

Kurunegala has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.1 °C and it receives 1,831 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Kurunegala?

The hottest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 22 March 1978, reaching 39.1 °C.

What is the coldest day in Kurunegala?

The coldest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 11 February 2001, at 14.8 °C.

Does it snow in Kurunegala?

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

Has the climate of Kurunegala warmed?

Yes: Kurunegala warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Kurunegala?

The wettest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 15 May 2016, with 254 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Kurunegala?

The windiest day measured in Kurunegala between 1940 and 2025 was 24 November 1978, with winds reaching 31.3 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Kurunegala?

The warmest month in Kurunegala is March (27.8 °C on average); the coldest is December (25.1 °C).

How much does it rain in Kurunegala?

Kurunegala receives on average 1,831 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 246 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Kurunegala?

Kurunegala gets on average 9.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,577 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Kurunegala?

Yes: Kurunegala has on average 356 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Kurunegala?

In Kurunegala, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 44.7 °C on 30 April 2024, and the lowest was 14.6 °C on 25 January 2006.

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