Puttalam climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Puttalam?

Puttalam has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.0 °C and it receives 1,290 mm of precipitation per year.

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

The hottest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 10 April 2024, reaching 34.6 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Puttalam?

The coldest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 31 January 1999, at 20.1 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Puttalam?

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

Q: Has the climate of Puttalam warmed?

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

Q: What is the wettest day in Puttalam?

The wettest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 1 May 2010, with 154 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Puttalam?

The windiest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 24 November 1978, with winds reaching 51.8 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Puttalam?

The warmest month in Puttalam is May (28.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (25.8 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Puttalam?

Puttalam receives on average 1,290 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 195 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Puttalam?

Puttalam gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Puttalam (Sri Lanka) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 27.0 °C and it receives 1,290 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 May (28.2 °C on average) and the coldest is January (25.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in November.

Puttalam averages 0 frost days, 84 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 195 rainy days per year.

Puttalam 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 34.6 °C (on 10 April 2024) and the coldest 20.1 °C (on 31 January 1999).

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

PuttalamNorth Western Province

coords: 8.04°, 79.83°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AwTropical savannaWarmest monthMayColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthNovemberDriest monthFebruary

Mean daily temperature

27.0°C

Average daily high

29.1°C

Average daily low

25.3°C

Annual rainfall

1,290mm

Sunshine / day

10.6h

Mean relative humidity

81%

Average peak wind

22.8km/h

Seasonal range

2.4°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

84 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

195 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

33.2 °C

Average feels-like low

28.3 °C

Average peak gust

38.6 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

365 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.1 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.4 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.76 · 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

34.6 °C

10 April 2024

Coldest day

20.1 °C

31 January 1999

Wettest day

154 mm

1 May 2010

Windiest day

51.8 km/h

24 November 1978

Strongest gust

87.1 km/h

24 November 1978

Hottest feels-like

43.0 °C

8 May 1998

Coldest feels-like

19.9 °C

13 February 1956

Sunniest day

12.3 h

31 May 1949

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	33.1 °C24 February 2025	22.9 °C14 February 2025	27.7 °C	1,647 mm	157
2024	34.6 °C10 April 2024	23.4 °C25 January 2024	28.1 °C	1,913 mm	194
2023	33.7 °C11 April 2023	21.8 °C13 January 2023	27.7 °C	2,000 mm	173
2022	32.4 °C27 February 2022	22.1 °C21 January 2022	27.4 °C	1,410 mm	112
2021	32.8 °C23 March 2021	22.3 °C11 February 2021	27.5 °C	1,758 mm	112
2020	34.0 °C20 April 2020	22.6 °C15 January 2020	27.9 °C	1,131 mm	186
2019	33.9 °C26 March 2019	22.4 °C19 January 2019	27.8 °C	1,321 mm	182
2018	33.0 °C26 March 2018	21.6 °C7 January 2018	27.3 °C	1,333 mm	110
2017	32.4 °C22 March 2017	21.6 °C8 February 2017	27.6 °C	1,205 mm	125
2016	34.0 °C26 March 2016	21.2 °C24 December 2016	27.9 °C	910 mm	158
2015	33.0 °C26 March 2015	22.4 °C18 February 2015	27.6 °C	1,652 mm	138
2014	34.4 °C26 March 2014	21.7 °C6 February 2014	27.5 °C	1,609 mm	120
2013	32.4 °C11 March 2013	22.3 °C19 January 2013	27.3 °C	934 mm	107
2012	32.3 °C25 February 2012	22.4 °C17 January 2012	27.6 °C	1,039 mm	154
2011	32.2 °C17 March 2011	21.8 °C20 January 2011	27.3 °C	1,374 mm	93
2010	33.9 °C10 March 2010	22.1 °C23 January 2010	27.5 °C	1,699 mm	119
2009	31.9 °C2 March 2009	21.3 °C13 February 2009	27.4 °C	1,249 mm	87
2008	31.4 °C16 February 2008	21.8 °C19 January 2008	27.2 °C	1,727 mm	56
2007	33.8 °C27 March 2007	21.2 °C26 December 2007	27.4 °C	1,079 mm	126
2006	31.9 °C7 March 2006	21.2 °C21 January 2006	27.3 °C	1,361 mm	91
2005	33.1 °C5 March 2005	21.8 °C29 December 2005	27.5 °C	1,255 mm	118
2004	32.6 °C10 March 2004	21.4 °C22 December 2004	27.3 °C	1,124 mm	111
2003	32.3 °C10 March 2003	22.3 °C2 January 2003	27.4 °C	1,103 mm	105
2002	32.6 °C19 March 2002	21.9 °C15 January 2002	27.2 °C	1,282 mm	99
2001	32.6 °C1 April 2001	20.3 °C11 February 2001	27.1 °C	1,031 mm	70
2000	32.0 °C22 March 2000	21.9 °C21 January 2000	26.9 °C	1,100 mm	53
1999	31.6 °C20 March 1999	20.1 °C31 January 1999	26.8 °C	1,232 mm	34
1998	34.3 °C27 March 1998	23.4 °C17 January 1998	27.7 °C	1,296 mm	141
1997	33.8 °C26 March 1997	21.5 °C1 February 1997	27.3 °C	1,325 mm	118
1996	32.6 °C24 March 1996	22.5 °C6 January 1996	27.0 °C	1,219 mm	86
1995	32.8 °C19 March 1995	22.1 °C13 February 1995	27.1 °C	1,116 mm	78
1994	31.5 °C16 March 1994	22.4 °C12 December 1994	26.9 °C	1,214 mm	61
1993	32.3 °C6 March 1993	20.7 °C9 February 1993	27.0 °C	1,392 mm	86
1992	32.5 °C24 March 1992	21.7 °C14 February 1992	27.0 °C	961 mm	90
1991	32.9 °C27 March 1991	21.4 °C13 February 1991	27.2 °C	964 mm	96
1990	32.9 °C7 April 1990	20.7 °C20 January 1990	27.2 °C	1,169 mm	94
1989	33.7 °C7 April 1989	20.7 °C6 February 1989	26.9 °C	933 mm	67
1988	32.3 °C27 February 1988	20.9 °C8 February 1988	27.2 °C	1,209 mm	100
1987	33.3 °C24 March 1987	22.2 °C11 February 1987	27.6 °C	1,316 mm	138
1986	31.9 °C28 March 1986	22.1 °C4 February 1986	27.0 °C	858 mm	77
1985	32.0 °C12 March 1985	22.5 °C21 January 1985	27.0 °C	957 mm	70
1984	31.5 °C25 March 1984	21.8 °C13 December 1984	26.7 °C	1,446 mm	40
1983	33.8 °C1 April 1983	21.0 °C4 January 1983	27.5 °C	795 mm	136
1982	32.4 °C1 March 1982	21.6 °C16 February 1982	27.1 °C	940 mm	109
1981	32.7 °C28 March 1981	21.0 °C1 February 1981	27.0 °C	912 mm	88
1980	32.9 °C27 March 1980	21.4 °C30 January 1980	27.3 °C	864 mm	123
1979	33.9 °C25 March 1979	22.4 °C10 January 1979	27.4 °C	1,064 mm	136
1978	32.9 °C20 March 1978	22.1 °C19 January 1978	26.9 °C	1,396 mm	68
1977	32.6 °C25 March 1977	20.9 °C27 January 1977	26.9 °C	1,213 mm	72
1976	32.3 °C17 March 1976	21.1 °C26 February 1976	26.8 °C	1,078 mm	73
1975	32.7 °C19 February 1975	20.4 °C10 January 1975	26.6 °C	1,314 mm	62
1974	32.1 °C23 March 1974	20.9 °C6 February 1974	26.7 °C	790 mm	61
1973	33.6 °C18 March 1973	21.7 °C22 January 1973	27.0 °C	1,069 mm	103
1972	32.2 °C7 March 1972	21.4 °C13 January 1972	26.9 °C	1,534 mm	65
1971	32.1 °C8 March 1971	21.3 °C13 February 1971	26.6 °C	1,226 mm	55
1970	32.6 °C22 March 1970	21.1 °C2 February 1970	26.8 °C	1,209 mm	63
1969	32.2 °C5 March 1969	21.1 °C30 January 1969	27.0 °C	1,558 mm	79
1968	32.0 °C13 March 1968	21.1 °C28 January 1968	26.6 °C	1,361 mm	47
1967	32.1 °C11 April 1967	20.8 °C10 February 1967	26.7 °C	1,827 mm	54
1966	31.7 °C1 April 1966	22.2 °C2 January 1966	26.7 °C	1,649 mm	59
1965	31.1 °C26 February 1965	22.4 °C25 January 1965	26.5 °C	1,947 mm	30
1964	32.9 °C10 April 1964	22.0 °C19 January 1964	26.7 °C	1,410 mm	68
1963	32.0 °C10 May 1963	21.4 °C11 February 1963	26.6 °C	1,403 mm	33
1962	31.3 °C14 March 1962	21.8 °C10 January 1962	26.6 °C	1,655 mm	28
1961	32.8 °C31 March 1961	21.4 °C19 February 1961	26.5 °C	1,313 mm	44
1960	31.4 °C6 April 1960	22.0 °C4 February 1960	26.4 °C	1,224 mm	19
1959	33.4 °C21 March 1959	22.5 °C24 January 1959	26.9 °C	1,109 mm	82
1958	32.8 °C7 March 1958	22.1 °C5 February 1958	26.8 °C	1,339 mm	50
1957	32.3 °C17 March 1957	21.4 °C27 January 1957	26.7 °C	1,335 mm	59
1956	32.1 °C7 April 1956	20.4 °C21 January 1956	26.2 °C	1,118 mm	44
1955	31.8 °C5 April 1955	21.2 °C30 December 1955	26.2 °C	1,585 mm	21
1954	32.7 °C5 March 1954	22.3 °C29 January 1954	26.3 °C	1,607 mm	38
1953	32.3 °C10 February 1953	21.6 °C31 January 1953	26.9 °C	994 mm	125
1952	32.6 °C25 February 1952	22.2 °C15 January 1952	26.9 °C	694 mm	125
1951	32.4 °C27 March 1951	21.9 °C5 January 1951	26.8 °C	1,247 mm	68
1950	31.9 °C5 March 1950	21.0 °C2 January 1950	26.7 °C	656 mm	73
1949	32.0 °C12 March 1949	22.4 °C23 January 1949	26.5 °C	1,119 mm	47
1948	32.0 °C2 March 1948	22.7 °C26 February 1948	26.6 °C	1,326 mm	43
1947	31.1 °C17 March 1947	22.2 °C29 December 1947	26.5 °C	1,243 mm	15
1946	32.8 °C14 March 1946	21.4 °C16 January 1946	26.5 °C	1,505 mm	46
1945	32.4 °C26 March 1945	20.6 °C5 January 1945	26.5 °C	1,264 mm	49
1944	32.2 °C20 February 1944	21.8 °C29 November 1944	26.4 °C	1,969 mm	38
1943	31.9 °C15 March 1943	21.3 °C19 February 1943	25.9 °C	1,712 mm	25
1942	30.6 °C26 February 1942	21.5 °C4 February 1942	26.1 °C	1,439 mm	14
1941	32.2 °C26 February 1941	21.0 °C27 January 1941	26.5 °C	1,371 mm	54
1940	31.6 °C3 March 1940	21.4 °C10 January 1940	26.3 °C	1,665 mm	25

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

29.8 °C

+0.7 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

157 d/yr

+73

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1647 mm

+357 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	28.9 °C	+0.2 °C	111 mm	+68 mm
Feb	31.0 °C	+1.1 °C	25 mm	-3 mm
Mar	31.2 °C	+0.5 °C	96 mm	+42 mm
Apr	30.6 °C	+0.3 °C	128 mm	+9 mm
May	30.5 °C	+0.8 °C	141 mm	-16 mm
Jun	29.6 °C	+0.8 °C	70 mm	-36 mm
Jul	29.6 °C	+1.2 °C	31 mm	-29 mm
Aug	29.3 °C	+0.9 °C	29 mm	-29 mm
Sep	29.9 °C	+1.4 °C	55 mm	-43 mm
Oct	29.6 °C	+1.1 °C	348 mm	+131 mm
Nov	28.7 °C	+0.2 °C	541 mm	+314 mm
Dec	28.8 °C	+0.4 °C	72 mm	-50 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

33.1 °C

24 Feb 2025

Coldest day

22.9 °C

14 Feb 2025

Wettest day

150.6 mm

28 Nov 2025

Windiest day

48.7 km/h

28 Nov 2025

Strongest gust

80.3 km/h

28 Nov 2025

Hottest feels-like

40.3 °C

18 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

22.8 °C

28 Nov 2025

Sunniest day

12.1 h

2 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 Puttalam?

Puttalam has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.0 °C and it receives 1,290 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Puttalam?

The hottest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 10 April 2024, reaching 34.6 °C.

What is the coldest day in Puttalam?

The coldest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 31 January 1999, at 20.1 °C.

Does it snow in Puttalam?

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

Has the climate of Puttalam warmed?

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

What is the wettest day in Puttalam?

The wettest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 1 May 2010, with 154 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Puttalam?

The windiest day measured in Puttalam between 1940 and 2025 was 24 November 1978, with winds reaching 51.8 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Puttalam?

The warmest month in Puttalam is May (28.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (25.8 °C).

How much does it rain in Puttalam?

Puttalam receives on average 1,290 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 195 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Puttalam?

Puttalam gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Puttalam?

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

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Puttalam?

In Puttalam, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 43.0 °C on 8 May 1998, and the lowest was 19.9 °C on 13 February 1956.

Compare Puttalam with another city

Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.

Nearby cities

The climate around Puttalam

Other cities — Sri Lanka

All cities in Sri Lanka →