Weather on the South Coast of Sri Lanka

Traditionally, the best time to visit the south coast of Sri Lanka is from December to April, with similar weather patterns to the Galle Coast. But there are other temptations, too. Between May and September, travel east beyond Galle along the south coast and you can often be rewarded with more settled weather than further west. This makes quieter beach resorts like Tangalle a particularly attractive option in July and August for travellers who don’t want to opt for the best weather of all on the East Coast.

Tangalle has some rainfall all year round – totalling about 180cms a year - but historically the Deep South has been about 25% dryer than the Galle Coast, although not quite as dry as the east. The driest and sunniest months are January and February with May, October and the first half of November generally wet. Temperatures are remarkably stable throughout the year, but the drier months do have the advantage of lower humidity levels. Climatologists suggest an average of eight hours of sun a day, with the skies at their clearest during peak season in the European winter. In the simple beach restaurants, warm evenings are whiled away with little threat of rain.

Sri Lanka is affected by two monsoons which generally means that there is good weather somewhere. October to mid-December can see heavy rain brought in by the north-east monsoon, with the south-west monsoon bringing heaviest downpours from mid-April to mid-June. There is also an unsettled inter-monsoonal period in October.

Best month to visit Sri Lanka’s South Coast: February

Note: Based on Tangalle