The North-West Coast has different weather patterns, depending how far north you travel. Negombo follows the weather patterns of Colombo, only 20 miles to the south, and has its best weather between December and April, also being affected by the south-west monsoon which brings rain from May to July. By the time you travel up the north-west coast as Mannar, however, the picture is much more different: a dryer landscape for much of the year with the bulk of the rain falling from October to December – a weather pattern typical of the north-east monsoon. There is also an inter-monsoonal period of unsettled weather in October.
We have chosen a midway point – Puttalam, and its near neighbour Kalpitiya in seeking climate estimates. The dry season in Puttalam can be breezy which makes it an excellent centre for kite serving. Peak holiday season is December to March. Average monthly temperatures vary by less than 3C and its rainfall is influenced by both monsoon periods in turn – with a marked increase in May and even greater rainfall in November and December. Overall, though, the area has about half the rainfall of Colombo.
Best month to visit Sri Lanka’s North-West Coast: January
| Average high °C | Average low °C | Average rain / m mm | Average rain days / m | Average sun hours / month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 23 | 50 | 6 | 8 |
| Feb | 31 | 23 | 37 | 5 | 9 |
| Mar | 32 | 25 | 55 | 9 | 9 |
| Apr | 32 | 26 | 130 | 18 | 9 |
| May | 31 | 26 | 150 | 18 | 8 |
| June | 30 | 26 | 90 | 14 | 9 |
| July | 29 | 26 | 50 | 9 | 10 |
| Aug | 29 | 26 | 60 | 10 | 9 |
| Sept | 29 | 26 | 100 | 13 | 9 |
| Oct | 29 | 25 | 100 | 18 | 8 |
| Nov | 29 | 25 | 240 | 16 | 7 |
| Dec | 29 | 24 | 255 | 12 | 7 |
| Year | 30 | 25 | 110 | 14 | 9 |
Note: Based on Puttalam
