AI-generatedSigiriya at a glance
- Best time
- Jan – Feb
- Warmest month
- Apr · 32°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,140 h
- Rain a year
- 1,464 mm
- Climate
- Tropical
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30
- Elevation
- 207 m
Climate in Sigiriya
Sigiriya 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 32 °C, while January is the coolest at 27 °C. With around 2,140 hours of sunshine a year, Sigiriya is moderately sunny; March is the sunniest month with 7.1 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: January – February
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 26°
- Midday, 13:00: about 30°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 29°
- Evening, 20:00: about 26°
- Night, 23:00: about 25°
05:5417:51
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 17:23–18:04
- Blue hour
- Morning 05:33–05:41 · evening 18:04–18:12
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.
What is the weather like in Sigiriya in October?
In October, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 24 days, totalling 262 mm. On about 15 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 Sigiriya.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 58 min05:54 – 17:51
- UV index
- 13 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 31 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 80 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 15 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+5:30Asia/Colombo
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %57 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %33 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Water bottle – drink plenty
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sunshine hours in Sigiriya
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 5.0 of 12.0 hours of daylight in Sigiriya, 42 % of the day.
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.
UV index in Sigiriya
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 it, 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.
Rain in Sigiriya: 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, Sigiriya has about 24 rainy days with 262 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Sigiriya
How breezy and how cloudy Sigiriya 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 Sigiriya typically peaks at 16 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, light breeze.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 80 % of the sky over Sigiriya: mostly overcast, with about 5.0 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 and humidity in Sigiriya
How often the day gets hot in Sigiriya (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, Sigiriya has about 15 hot days, with an average daytime high of 30 °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
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Sigiriya
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 (10+ 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) on about 356 days a year, mostly all year round.
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 | 72 | 27° | 21° | 5.3 h | 12 | 85 |
| FebruaryFeb | 70 | 29° | 21° | 6.4 h | 9 | 52 |
| MarchMar | 51 | 31° | 22° | 7.1 h | 10 | 65 |
| AprilApr | 27 | 32° | 24° | 6.7 h | 20 | 158 |
| MayMay | 31 | 31° | 25° | 6.5 h | 19 | 123 |
| JuneJun | 34 | 31° | 24° | 6.3 h | 19 | 58 |
| JulyJul | 32 | 31° | 24° | 6.1 h | 18 | 61 |
| AugustAug | 32 | 31° | 24° | 6.3 h | 18 | 65 |
| SeptemberSep | 31 | 31° | 24° | 6.0 h | 19 | 86 |
| OctoberOct | 35 | 30° | 23° | 5.0 h | 24 | 262 |
| NovemberNov | 45 | 28° | 22° | 4.2 h | 23 | 279 |
| DecemberDec | 54 | 27° | 22° | 4.4 h | 18 | 170 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, 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
7.95° N, 80.75° E · 207 m · Asia/Colombo
Best time to visit Sigiriya
The best time to visit Sigiriya is from January to February. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable in January. Rain is most frequent from April to December; the wettest month is November with 279 mm.
Sigiriya through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Sigiriya in the dry season
Jan – Mar
Good
- 27–31 °C by day
- 6 h of sun a day
- 30 rainy days in all
Sigiriya in the rainy season
Apr – Dec
Poor
- 27–32 °C by day
- 6 h of sun a day
- 177 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Sigiriya for you.
Your best months: January – February
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Sigiriya
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 Sigiriya: score 72 against 35. In January, days are 3 °C cooler than in October. January has 12 fewer rainy days.
| Month | October | January |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 35 | 72better |
| Day high | 30° | 27° |
| Night low | 23° | 21° |
| Sunshine | 5.0 h | 5.3 h |
| Rainy days | 24 | 12better |
| Rainfall | 262 mm | 85 mmbetter |
| Muggy days | 31 | 28better |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No sea nearby
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Jan
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Apr – Dec
12 or more rainy days
Sigiriya month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
72January27° · 5 h
In January, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 27 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 85 mm in total. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in January70February29° · 6 h
In February, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 29 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 9 days, adding up to 52 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, February is a good month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in February51March31° · 7 h
In March, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 65 mm in total. On about 23 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 Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in March27April32° · 7 h
In April, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 32 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 20 days, totalling 158 mm. On about 27 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 Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in April31May31° · 7 h
In May, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 25 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 19 days, totalling 123 mm. On about 25 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 Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in May34June31° · 6 h
In June, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 19 days, totalling 58 mm. On about 22 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in June32July31° · 6 h
In July, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 61 mm. On about 23 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in July32August31° · 6 h
In August, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 65 mm. On about 25 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in August31September31° · 6 h
In September, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 19 days, totalling 86 mm. On about 23 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in September35October30° · 5 h
In October, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 24 days, totalling 262 mm. On about 15 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 Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in October45November28° · 4 h
In November, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 23 days, totalling 279 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in November54December27° · 4 h
In December, Sigiriya is hot: daytime highs average 27 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 18 days, totalling 170 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, December is a so-so month for a holiday in Sigiriya.
Sigiriya in DecemberSigiriya compared
Put Sigiriya side by side with another destination.
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Sigiriya vs. Kandy
In October Kandy has the better holiday weather (score 57 vs. 35). During the day Kandy is 3 °C cooler than Sigiriya.
| in October | Sigiriya | Kandy |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 35 | 57 |
| Daytime high | 30° | 27° |
| Sunshine | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rainy days | 24 | 26 |
| Best time | Jan – Feb | Jan – Feb |
Through the year
Sri Lanka in October: the best places
In October, Sigiriya ranks 8 of 8 destinations in this country.
- Galle28°28°69
- 2Negombo29°28°66
- 3Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte29°28°65
- 4Bentota28°28°65
- 5Kandy27°56
- 6Jaffna29°29°46
- 7Colombo29°28°44
- 8SigiriyaThis page30°35
Planning a trip to Sigiriya
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Sigiriya 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.
Sigiriya has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 63) and its weakest during May half-term (score 32).
- 34
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 32 °C by day
- 6.8 h of sun a day
- 17 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 32
May half-term
May – Jun
Poor
- 31 °C by day
- 6.5 h of sun a day
- 19 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 32
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 31 °C by day
- 6.2 h of sun a day
- 18 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 35
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 30 °C by day
- 5.0 h of sun a day
- 24 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 63
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
GoodBest holidays
- 27 °C by day
- 4.9 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
- 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.
Frequently asked questions about Sigiriya
When is the best time to visit Sigiriya?
The best time to visit Sigiriya is from January to February. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in Sigiriya?
April is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C and nights around 24 °C. January is the coolest month at 27 °C.
When does it rain most in Sigiriya?
Rain is most frequent from April to December; the wettest month is November with 279 mm. The driest month is February with 52 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Sigiriya get?
Sigiriya gets around 2,140 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is March with 7.1 hours a day; in November there are 4.2 hours a day.
What time zone is Sigiriya in?
Sigiriya uses the time zone Asia/Colombo, at UTC+5:30 all year.
How long is the flight from London to Sigiriya?
A nonstop flight from London to Sigiriya takes about 11 h, for a straight-line distance of about 8,710 km.
Which school holidays are best for Sigiriya?
Sigiriya has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 63) and its weakest during May half-term (score 32). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 34, May half-term 32, Summer holidays 32, October half-term 35, Christmas holidays 63.
Near Sigiriya
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like Sigiriya
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Sigiriya's – good alternatives.