Sri Lanka is characterized with tropical climate largely because of its nearness to the equator. As such, there aren’t any clear seasons. The temperatures vary depending on the area. The upland and coastal locations enjoy cool temperatures enhanced by sea breezes throughout the year. The monsoon season runs from Oct to Apr., particularly in the eastern and northern parts of the country while in the western and southern regions it falls in the months May through Sept.
The monsoon winds provide the country will its only real season because of its apparent location. The weather in Sri Lanka is characterized by high temperatures in general. For instance, in Colombo and its environs, the average temperature is 27°C while in and around Nuwara Eliya, the temperatures remain on averagely 16°C because of its nearness to hilly regions. This pattern of weather in Sri Lanka is evident throughout the year. The coastal regions and plains experience hot and humid conditions with the mean average temperature being around 27°C round the year.
Relative humidity differs depending on the time of the day. For instance, the average humidity is 70 percent and 90 percent during daytime and nighttime respectively. The overall temperatures in the coastal regions are moderated by the cooling breezes from the sea. The highly regions are chilly and not bad with the mean average temperature standing at about 20° C.
Sri Lanka enjoys plenty of rainfall year after year. Rainfall is a prominent feature in the country during the diurnal and seasonal climate variations in Sri Lanka. In most regions of Sri Lanka, the average amount of rainfall received is about 1270 mm (50 inch). On the other hand, there are seasonal differences in all regions in terms of the amount of rainfall received. This variability per season has effectively created a foundation for the dissimilarity between a dry region and wet region in Sri Lanka. The monsoons contribute a lot to the amount of rainfall received in certain parts of the country. For instance, it brings rainfall to the southern, central and western parts of the country starting May through July. Again, it brings rainfall in the eastern and northern parts of the country between Dec and Jan. As a result, the beach can receive sufficient sunlight even during these times because rainfall comes only for a number of years per night.
The climate in Sri Lanka is said to be dry and wet. The weather in Sri Lanka is somewhat complex, though there are two distinct monsoon periods. Yala monsoon mainly causes heavy amounts of rainfall in the south west parts of the island starting May all through to Aug and the dry spell starts in Dec to Mar. On the other hand, Maha monsoon causes rainfall in the eastern and northern regions from Oct to Jan. The dry season there starts may and ends in Sep. You need to note that there is a lot of extra raining in the southern regions in comparison to the northeastern parts of the country. Again, the transnational monsoon season may be characterized by long rain spells in Oct. and Nov.
So, if you are planning to visit Sri Lanka you need to know the various weather patterns and how they can influence your holiday. In general, majority of the international tourists arrive in Sri Lanka from Dec and Mar, particularly for the southern and west coast regions and from Apr to Sep for the prehistoric city areas as well as the eastern coastal regions. Most international tourists come to Sri Lanka during these times to escape the harsh winter conditions in European countries.