Colombo weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Good
Best time to visit: January – February
What is the weather like in Colombo in January?
In January, Colombo is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. The sea averages 27.9 °C – lovely and warm for swimming. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 77 mm in total. On about 18 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Colombo.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 49 | 64 | 60 |
| Day | 29° | 30° | 32° |
| Night | 23° | 23° | 24° |
| Sea | 28° | 28° | 28° |
| Sun | 6 h | 8 h | 9 h |
| Rain days | 17 | 9 | 9 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 11 h 45 min06:26 – 18:12
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 29 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 14 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on average
- Hot days
- 18 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30Asia/Colombo
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %59 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %82 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %62 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Water bottle – drink plenty
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Colombo in January: quick answers
Is Colombo hot in January?
Yes. In January, Colombo is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C and nights stay around 23 °C. On about 18 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Colombo in January?
Yes. In January the sea averages 27.9 °C – lovely and warm for swimming.
Does it rain much in Colombo in January?
Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 77 mm in total.
Colombo month by month
The whole year in ColomboAll destinations: Sri Lanka
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)