AI-generatedDambulla at a glance
- Best time
- Jun – Jul
- Warmest month
- Apr · 34°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,180 h
- Rain a year
- 1,117 mm
- Climate
- Tropical
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30
- Elevation
- 168 m
Climate in Dambulla
Dambulla has a tropical climate: it is warm all year round, and the seasons differ mainly in how much rain falls. April is the warmest month with average highs of 34 °C, while December is the coolest at 29 °C. With around 2,180 hours of sunshine a year, Dambulla is moderately sunny; March is the sunniest month with 7.2 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Best time to visit Dambulla
The best time to visit Dambulla is from June to July. From March to May and in September it can get very hot, with highs of up to 34 °C. The rainy season is from October to December; the wettest month is November with 253 mm.
Dambulla through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Dambulla in the dry season
Jan – Sep
Fair
- 30–34 °C by day
- 6.5 h of sun a day
- 80 rainy days in all
Dambulla in the rainy season
Oct – Dec
Poor
- 29–32 °C by day
- 4.5 h of sun a day
- 62 rainy days in all
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No sea nearby
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
No month
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Peak heat
Mar – May, Sep
Highs of 33 °C or more
Rainy months
Oct – Dec
Rainy season or more than 12 rainy days
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Dambulla for you.
Your best months: January – February, June
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Weather in October
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: June – July
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 27°
- Midday, 13:00: about 32°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 31°
- Evening, 20:00: about 27°
- Night, 23:00: about 26°
05:5417:52
Warm enough for a T-shirt in the evening.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 05:41–06:22 · evening 17:24–18:05
- Blue hour
- Morning 05:33–05:41 · evening 18:05–18:13
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
October in Dambulla compared with home
Loading the climate at home …
Early or late October?
In October, daytime highs fall from about 32° at the start of the month to 31° at the end.
| October | 1 Oct | 31 Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime high | 32° | 31° |
| Night-time low | 24° | 23° |
| Daylight | 12.1 h | 11.9 h |
What is the weather like in Dambulla in October?
In October, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 5.4 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 169 mm. On about 27 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Dambulla.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 58 min05:54 – 17:52
- UV index
- 13 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 31 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 77 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 27 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30offset from UTC
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %39 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %40 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %1 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Water bottle – drink plenty
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Compare two months in Dambulla
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
June has the better holiday weather in Dambulla: score 58 against 28. Daytime highs are about the same. June has 13 fewer rainy days. The sun shines an hour longer a day in June.
| Month | October | June |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 28 | 58better |
| Daytime high | 32° | 32° |
| Night-time low | 23° | 25° |
| Sunshine | 5.4 h | 6.7 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 18 | 5better |
| Rainfall | 169 mm | 19 mmbetter |
| Muggy days | 31 | 30better |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Dambulla month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
47January30° · 4.7 h
In January, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. Expect around 4.7 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 109 mm. On about 11 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in January51February31° · 6.1 h
In February, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. Expect around 6.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 66 mm in total. On about 22 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, February is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in February41March34° · 7.2 h
In March, Dambulla is very hot: daytime highs average 34 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sun shines for around 7.2 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 50 mm in total. On about 30 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, March is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in March28April34° · 7.2 h
In April, Dambulla is very hot: daytime highs average 34 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. The sun shines for around 7.2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 97 mm. The thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more every day. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in April45May33° · 7.1 h
In May, Dambulla is very hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 7.1 hours a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 68 mm. On about 30 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, May is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in May58June32° · 6.7 h
In June, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 6.7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 19 mm in total. On about 29 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, June is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla – and yet one of the best months here.
Dambulla in June55July33° · 6.5 h
In July, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 6.5 hours a day. Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 24 mm. On about 30 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, July is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla – and yet one of the best months here.
Dambulla in July52August33° · 6.5 h
In August, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. The sun shines for around 6.5 hours a day. Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 29 mm. On about 30 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, August is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in August45September33° · 6.3 h
In September, Dambulla is very hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 6.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 41 mm. On about 29 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, September is a so-so month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in September28October32° · 5.4 h
In October, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 5.4 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 169 mm. On about 27 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in October32November30° · 4.1 h
In November, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 4.1 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 23 days, totalling 253 mm. On about 20 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in November39December29° · 4.0 h
In December, Dambulla is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. Expect around 4.0 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 21 days, totalling 192 mm. On about 10 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Dambulla.
Dambulla in DecemberClimate in detail
Year & climate tableWarmest in April: 34°
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Dambulla
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Warm 20–24°
- Hot 24° and more
- muggy month (15+ muggy days)
WarmOctober: nights around 23°. Tropical nights: a fan or air conditioning helps. Muggy on about 31 days (dew point 18 °C or more).
The coolest nights are in January (21°), the warmest in May (25°). Nights stay tropical all year (20 °C and more), so a room with air conditioning or at least a fan pays off. It is muggy (dew point 18 °C or more) all year, on about 356 days a year.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 47 | 30° | 21° | 4.7 h | 15 | 109 |
| FebruaryFeb | 51 | 31° | 21° | 6.1 h | 11 | 66 |
| MarchMar | 41 | 34° | 22° | 7.2 h | 9 | 50 |
| AprilApr | 28 | 34° | 24° | 7.2 h | 14 | 97 |
| MayMay | 45 | 33° | 25° | 7.1 h | 9 | 68 |
| JuneJun | 58 | 32° | 25° | 6.7 h | 5 | 19 |
| JulyJul | 55 | 33° | 25° | 6.5 h | 5 | 24 |
| AugustAug | 52 | 33° | 24° | 6.5 h | 5 | 29 |
| SeptemberSep | 45 | 33° | 24° | 6.3 h | 8 | 41 |
| OctoberOct | 28 | 32° | 23° | 5.4 h | 18 | 169 |
| NovemberNov | 32 | 30° | 23° | 4.1 h | 23 | 253 |
| DecemberDec | 39 | 29° | 22° | 4.0 h | 21 | 192 |
Climate averages 1996–2025 (sunshine partly WMO station normals 1991–2020), not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
7.86° N, 80.65° E · 168 m · Asia/Colombo
Sunshine2,180 hours a year
Sunshine hours in Dambulla
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 5.4 of 12.0 hours of daylight in Dambulla, 45 % of the daylight hours.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain1,117 mm a year, most in November
Rain in Dambulla: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Dambulla has about 18 rainy days with 169 mm of rain in total.
UV indexUp to 14 in April
UV index in Dambulla
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 13 · extremeAvoid the midday sun; SPF 50+, covering clothes, hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in April (UV 14).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 10 min
- Fair skin
- about 15 min
- Light brown skin
- about 20 min
- Olive skin
- about 25 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen the time, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Wind & cloudsWindiest in June: 27 km/h
Wind and clouds in Dambulla
How breezy and how cloudy Dambulla is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in Dambulla typically peaks at 17 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, gentle breeze.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 77 % of the sky over Dambulla: mostly cloudy, with about 5.4 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Heat & humidity297 days of 30° or more a year
Heat and humidity in Dambulla
How often the day gets hot in Dambulla (30 °C and more), and in which months heat and humidity come together. Tap a month to select it.
Heat calendar
- pleasant
- some hot or muggy days
- often muggy
- often hot
- hot and muggy
In October, Dambulla has about 27 hot days, with an average daytime high of 32 °C: hot and muggy. Plan outdoor activities for the morning and evening, drink a lot and take breaks in the cool.
Hot days reach at least 30 °C; a month counts as muggy when the mean dew point reaches 18 °C on at least 15 days. Averages from ERA5 and ERA5-Land, 1996–2025. Muggy nights through the year
Planning a trip to Dambulla
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Dambulla in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
Dambulla has its best school-holiday weather during the summer holidays (score 53) and its weakest during October half-term (score 28).
- 32
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 34 °C by day
- 7.2 h of sun a day
- 13 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Peak heat
- 48
May half-term
May – Jun
Fair
- 33 °C by day
- 7.0 h of sun a day
- 8 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Peak heat
- 53
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
FairBest holidays
- 33 °C by day
- 6.5 h of sun a day
- 5 rainy days a month
- 28
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 32 °C by day
- 5.4 h of sun a day
- 18 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 43
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Fair
- 29 °C by day
- 4.4 h of sun a day
- 18 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 11 h
- Distance
- 8,710 km
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30
- Jet lag
- About 5 days (5 h east)
Rule of thumb for flying east: for a few days before, go to bed and get up a little earlier, and get plenty of morning light at your destination.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Good to know: Sri Lanka
- Currency
- Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
- Languages
- Sinhala, Tamil
- Sockets
- Type D, G, M · 230 V
- Traffic
- Drives on the left
- Dialling code
- +94
UK plugs fit
Sources: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0). Please check details before you travel.
Compare & alternatives
Compare with another place
Dambulla compared
Put Dambulla side by side with another destination.
Dambulla vs Sigiriya
In October the holiday weather in Dambulla and Sigiriya is about equally good (score 28 vs 25). During the day it is about as warm in Sigiriya as in Dambulla.
| in October | Dambulla | Sigiriya |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 28 | 25 |
| Daytime high | 32° | 32° |
| Sunshine | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rainy days | 18 | 24 |
| Best time | Jun – Jul | Jan – Feb |
Through the year
Best places in the country
Sri Lanka in October: the best places
In October, Dambulla ranks 16 of 22 destinations in this country.
- Hambantota31°28°69
- 2Galle30°28°69
- 3Matara30°28°69
- 4Mirissa30°28°69
- 5Negombo31°28°66
- 6Batticaloa32°29°66
- 7Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte31°28°65
- 8Kalutara30°28°65
- 16DambullaThis page32°28
Places nearby4 places within 57 km
Near Dambulla
Other destinations close by.
Places with a similar climatee.g. Kataragama and Mbuji-Mayi
Places with a climate like Dambulla
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Dambulla's – good alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about Dambulla
When is the best time to visit Dambulla?
The best time to visit Dambulla is from June to July. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in Dambulla?
April is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C and nights around 24 °C. December is the coolest month at 29 °C.
When does it rain most in Dambulla?
The rainy season is from October to December; the wettest month is November with 253 mm. The driest month is June with 19 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Dambulla get?
Dambulla gets around 2,180 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is March with 7.2 hours a day; in December there are 4.0 hours a day.
What time zone is Dambulla in?
Dambulla is on UTC+5:30 all year.
How long is the flight from London to Dambulla?
A nonstop flight from London to Dambulla takes about 11 h, for a straight-line distance of about 8,710 km.
Which school holidays are best for Dambulla?
Dambulla has its best school-holiday weather during the summer holidays (score 53) and its weakest during October half-term (score 28). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 32, May half-term 48, summer holidays 53, October half-term 28, Christmas holidays 43.