AI-generatedKataragama at a glance
- Best time
- Jan – Feb, Jun – Jul
- Warmest month
- Jul · 34°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,320 h
- Rain a year
- 1,334 mm
- Climate
- Tropical
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30
- Elevation
- 48 m
Climate in Kataragama
Kataragama has a tropical climate: it is warm all year round, and the seasons differ mainly in how much rain falls. July is the warmest month with average highs of 34 °C, while December is the coolest at 30 °C. With around 2,320 hours of sunshine a year, Kataragama is sunny; March is the sunniest month with 7.1 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Best time to visit Kataragama
The best time to visit Kataragama is from January to February and from June to July. From June to September it can get very hot, with highs of up to 34 °C. The rainy season is in April and from October to December; the wettest month is November with 301 mm.
Kataragama through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Kataragama in the dry season
Jan – Mar, May – Sep
Fair
- 30–34 °C by day
- 6.8 h of sun a day
- 76 rainy days in all
Kataragama in the rainy season
Apr, Oct – Dec
Poor
- 30–33 °C by day
- 5.5 h of sun a day
- 82 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
Jun – Sep
Highs of 33 °C or more
Rainy months
Apr, 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 Kataragama for you.
Your best months: January – February, July
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: January – February, 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 28°
- Night, 23:00: about 26°
05:5117:50
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 05:38–06:18 · evening 17:22–18:03
- Blue hour
- Morning 05:30–05:38 · evening 18:03–18:11
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 Kataragama compared with home
Loading the climate at home …
Early or late October?
In October, daytime highs fall from about 33° at the start of the month to 31° at the end.
| October | 1 Oct | 31 Oct |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime high | 33° | 31° |
| Night-time low | 24° | 23° |
| Daylight | 12.1 h | 11.9 h |
What is the weather like in Kataragama in October?
In October, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 5.6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 19 days, totalling 194 mm. On about 26 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 Kataragama.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 59 min05:51 – 17:50
- UV index
- 13 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 31 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 15 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 77 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 26 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30offset from UTC
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %36 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %43 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
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 Kataragama
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
January has the better holiday weather in Kataragama: score 53 against 27. In January, days are 2 °C cooler than in October. January has 7 fewer rainy days. The sun shines an hour longer a day in January.
| Month | October | January |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 27 | 53better |
| Daytime high | 32° | 30° |
| Night-time low | 24° | 22° |
| Sunshine | 5.6 h | 6.1 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 19 | 12better |
| Rainfall | 194 mm | 116 mmbetter |
| Muggy days | 31 | 29better |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Kataragama month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
53January30° · 6.1 h
In January, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. Expect around 6.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 116 mm in total. On about 21 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 Kataragama – and yet one of the best months here.
Kataragama in January53February31° · 7.0 h
In February, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sun shines for around 7.0 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 66 mm in total. On about 25 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 Kataragama – and yet one of the best months here.
Kataragama in February38March33° · 7.1 h
In March, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. The sun shines for around 7.1 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 89 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 not an ideal month for a holiday in Kataragama.
Kataragama in March27April33° · 6.7 h
In April, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. The sun shines for around 6.7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 21 days, totalling 152 mm. On about 29 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Kataragama.
Kataragama in April36May33° · 6.9 h
In May, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 6.9 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 83 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, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Kataragama.
Kataragama in May50June33° · 6.9 h
In June, Kataragama is very hot: daytime highs average 33 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 6.9 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 25 mm. 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 Kataragama – and yet one of the best months here.
Kataragama in June48July34° · 6.7 h
In July, Kataragama is very hot: daytime highs average 34 °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 24 mm in total. The thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more every day. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, July is a so-so month for a holiday in Kataragama – and yet one of the best months here.
Kataragama in July47August34° · 6.8 h
In August, Kataragama is very hot: daytime highs average 34 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 6.8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 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 Kataragama.
Kataragama in August40September33° · 6.5 h
In September, Kataragama is very 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 is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 55 mm in total. On about 28 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 Kataragama.
Kataragama in September27October32° · 5.6 h
In October, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 5.6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 19 days, totalling 194 mm. On about 26 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 Kataragama.
Kataragama in October33November31° · 4.7 h
In November, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 4.7 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 24 days, totalling 301 mm. On about 22 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 Kataragama.
Kataragama in November38December30° · 5.1 h
In December, Kataragama is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 5.1 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 201 mm. On about 18 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 Kataragama.
Kataragama in DecemberClimate in detail
Year & climate table
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Kataragama
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)
HotOctober: nights around 24°. Hot nights: air conditioning makes sleeping much easier. Muggy on about 31 days (dew point 18 °C or more).
The coolest nights are in January (22°), 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 362 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 | 53 | 30° | 22° | 6.1 h | 12 | 116 |
| FebruaryFeb | 53 | 31° | 22° | 7.0 h | 10 | 66 |
| MarchMar | 38 | 33° | 23° | 7.1 h | 13 | 89 |
| AprilApr | 27 | 33° | 24° | 6.7 h | 21 | 152 |
| MayMay | 36 | 33° | 25° | 6.9 h | 14 | 83 |
| JuneJun | 50 | 33° | 25° | 6.9 h | 6 | 25 |
| JulyJul | 48 | 34° | 25° | 6.7 h | 5 | 24 |
| AugustAug | 47 | 34° | 25° | 6.8 h | 6 | 29 |
| SeptemberSep | 40 | 33° | 24° | 6.5 h | 10 | 55 |
| OctoberOct | 27 | 32° | 24° | 5.6 h | 19 | 194 |
| NovemberNov | 33 | 31° | 23° | 4.7 h | 24 | 301 |
| DecemberDec | 38 | 30° | 23° | 5.1 h | 18 | 201 |
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
6.41° N, 81.33° E · 48 m · Asia/Colombo
Sunshine
Sunshine hours in Kataragama
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 5.6 of 12.0 hours of daylight in Kataragama, 47 % 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.
Rain
Rain in Kataragama: 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, Kataragama has about 19 rainy days with 194 mm of rain in total.
UV index
UV index in Kataragama
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 & clouds
Wind and clouds in Kataragama
How breezy and how cloudy Kataragama 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 Kataragama typically peaks at 15 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 Kataragama: mostly cloudy, with about 5.6 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 & humidity
Heat and humidity in Kataragama
How often the day gets hot in Kataragama (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, Kataragama has about 26 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 Kataragama
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Kataragama 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.
Kataragama has its best school-holiday weather during the summer holidays (score 47) and its weakest during October half-term (score 27).
- 30
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 33 °C by day
- 6.8 h of sun a day
- 19 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 39
May half-term
May – Jun
Poor
- 33 °C by day
- 6.9 h of sun a day
- 12 rainy days a month
- 47
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
FairBest holidays
- 34 °C by day
- 6.8 h of sun a day
- 6 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Peak heat
- 27
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 32 °C by day
- 5.6 h of sun a day
- 19 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 46
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Fair
- 30 °C by day
- 5.6 h of sun a day
- 15 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 10 min
- Distance
- 8,880 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
Kataragama compared
Put Kataragama side by side with another destination.
Kataragama vs Hambantota
In October Hambantota has the better holiday weather (score 35 vs 27). During the day Hambantota is 1 °C cooler than Kataragama.
| in October | Kataragama | Hambantota |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday weather score | 27 | 35 |
| Daytime high | 32° | 31° |
| Sea | no sea nearby | 28° |
| Sunshine | 6 h | 6 h |
| Rainy days | 19 | 19 |
| Best time | Jan – Feb, Jun – Jul | Jan – Mar, May – Sep |
Through the year
Best places in the country
Sri Lanka in October: the best places
In October, Kataragama ranks 18 of 22 destinations in this country.
- Hambantota31°28°69
- 2Matara30°28°69
- 3Mirissa30°28°69
- 4Galle30°28°69
- 5Batticaloa32°29°66
- 6Negombo31°28°66
- 7Bentota30°28°65
- 8Kalutara30°28°65
- 18KataragamaThis page32°27
Places nearby
Near Kataragama
Other destinations close by.
Places with a similar climate
Places with a climate like Kataragama
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Kataragama's – good alternatives.
Frequently asked questions about Kataragama
When is the best time to visit Kataragama?
The best time to visit Kataragama is from January to February and 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 Kataragama?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 34 °C and nights around 25 °C. December is the coolest month at 30 °C.
When does it rain most in Kataragama?
The rainy season is in April and from October to December; the wettest month is November with 301 mm. The driest month is July with 24 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Kataragama get?
Kataragama gets around 2,320 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is March with 7.1 hours a day; in November there are 4.7 hours a day.
What time zone is Kataragama in?
Kataragama is on UTC+5:30 all year.
How long is the flight from London to Kataragama?
A nonstop flight from London to Kataragama takes about 11 h 10 min, for a straight-line distance of about 8,880 km.
Which school holidays are best for Kataragama?
Kataragama has its best school-holiday weather during the summer holidays (score 47) and its weakest during October half-term (score 27). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 30, May half-term 39, summer holidays 47, October half-term 27, Christmas holidays 46.