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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka in January: weather, sea & travel advice

This month's data profile

Rain shapes the decision

Sri Lanka in January is climatically well suited to beach holidays and family holidays. The average daily high is around 29 °C, and the sea is about 28 °C. With about 14 rainy days it is wet.

Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.

Rank among 12 monthly averages

68/100 · #2

Warmth

#4

Dryness

#2

Sun

#4

Sea warmth

#10

Published best categories: Overall, Beach, City break, Family

Palm-lined beach on Sri Lanka's south coastSri Lanka · JanuaryPhoto: Luboš Holič · CC BY-SA 3.0

Climate facts

Average high
29 °C
Average low
23 °C
Sea
28 °C
Rainy days (est.)
14 rainy days (est.)
Sun (est.)
6 h/day
Humidity
78 %

Climate evidence with direct month comparison

The highlighted row is the selected month. Precipitation total and rainy days are separate monthly averages.

Climate averages for Sri Lanka: selected and adjacent months
MonthAvg high °CAvg low °CRainy days (est.)Precipitation mmSun h/day (est.)Humidity %Wind m/sSea °CScore
December2924211745.7822.82859
January (selected)292314946.2782.62868
February302411767.1762.12870

How do the previous and next months compare?

Baseline: January (68/100)

Positive and negative values show the change from the selected month.

Score ΔAverage high ΔAverage low ΔRainy days ΔRain ΔSun ΔHumidity ΔWind ΔSea Δ
December-9-0.5 °C+0.7 °C+7.2+80 mm-0.5 h+3.2 %+0.2 m/s+0.4 °C
February+2+0.8 °C+0.5 °C-2.5-18.4 mm+0.9 h-2.3 %-0.5 m/s+0.4 °C

All twelve months in context

Rainy days (estimated)
14
J
11
F
17
M
25
A
26
M
25
J
21
J
21
A
23
S
27
O
26
N
21
D
Sunshine hours (estimated)h/day
6
J
7
F
7
M
7
A
6
M
6
J
6
J
6
A
6
S
6
O
6
N
6
D
Average daily high°C
29
J
30
F
31
M
30
A
29
M
28
J
28
J
28
A
28
S
28
O
28
N
29
D
Sea temperature°C
28
J
28
F
29
M
30
A
29
M
28
J
28
J
28
A
28
S
28
O
29
N
28
D
Palm-lined beach on Sri Lanka's south coast

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Where to stay in Sri Lanka

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Useful next decisions

Sri Lanka · Month by month

Frequently asked questions

How warm is Sri Lanka in January?

The average daily high is around 29 °C, with an average daily low of about 23 °C.

Can you swim in Sri Lanka in January?

The sea is about 28 °C (very warm).

Does it rain a lot in Sri Lanka in January?

The curated estimate is about 14 rainy days per month, not a directly measured long-term average. Total precipitation averages around 94 mm for the month. A rainy day does not mean all-day rain.

When is the best time to visit Sri Lanka?

By the climate score, January, February, July and August are the strongest months for Sri Lanka. For a beach trip: January, February, July and August. January is one of them.