Sri Lanka Weather in December
On the west and south coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 84°F (29°C) and the sea at 84°F (29°C). On the east coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 83°F (28°C) and the sea at 82°F (28°C). In the hill country it is warm and showery, with highs of 80°F (27°C). Rating: Mixed — even on the west and south coast rain is frequent.
Mixedrain is frequent
Climate normals checked September 29, 2026 · Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5) · How we calculate
Sri Lanka weather in December by region
| Region | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rainy days | Rainfall | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West & south coastBentota, Hikkaduwa, Galle | 84°F (29°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 22 | 7.1 in (180 mm) | 87% |
| East coastTrincomalee, Pasikudah | 83°F (28°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 23 | 10.6 in (268 mm) | 83% |
| Hill countryKandy, Nuwara Eliya | 80°F (27°C) | 68°F (20°C) | — | 17 | 5.8 in (147 mm) | 84% |
Flight time from the US
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Other months in Sri Lanka
- Jan85°FJanuary: Good
- Feb86°FFebruary: Good
- Mar87°FMarch: Excellent
- Apr91°FApril: Excellent
- May92°FMay: Mixed
- Jun94°FJune: Good
- Jul94°FJuly: Good
- Aug93°FAugust: Good
- Sep92°FSeptember: Mixed
- Oct88°FOctober: Mixed
- Nov84°FNovember: Off-season
- Dec84°FDecember: Mixed
Excellent Good Mixed Off-season
Sri Lanka in December: FAQ
What's the weather like in Sri Lanka in December?
On the west and south coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 84°F (29°C) and the sea at 84°F (29°C). On the east coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 83°F (28°C) and the sea at 82°F (28°C). In the hill country it is warm and showery, with highs of 80°F (27°C).
Is December a good time to visit Sri Lanka?
We rate December as Mixed. It can work, with caveats: even on the west and south coast rain is frequent.
Is December rainy season in Sri Lanka?
Driest on the west and south coast, with about 7.1 in (180 mm) of rain and 22 rainy days. On the east coast: 10.6 in (268 mm).
How does Sri Lanka in December compare to January?
January rates Good, December rates Mixed. In the best region, December brings highs of 84°F (29°C) and 7.1 in (180 mm) of rain; January brings 85°F (29°C) and 4.3 in (110 mm).
Where the data comes from
- Air temperature, rainfall, humidity — ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus / ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, averaged over 2015–2024. Each region uses one point: the resort or city in its caption.
- Sea temperature — Open-Meteo Marine, average sea surface temperature for 2023–2026 (the source has no longer record yet).
- Rainy days — days with at least 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain. Reanalysis picks up light rain more often than weather stations, so treat this as an upper bound.
- Month rating — one rule for every destination, based on three factors: day highs (ideal 75–91°F / 24–33°C), monthly rainfall (ideal under 80 mm / 3.1 in) and, for beach regions, sea temperature (ideal 77°F / 25°C or warmer). All ideal means Excellent; one slightly weaker factor means Good. Mixed means heavy rain (150 mm / 5.9 in or more), highs above 97°F (36°C) or a sea below 70°F (21°C). Off-season means highs of 100°F (38°C) or more, cold below 54°F (12°C), over 350 mm (13.8 in) of rain, or several problems at once. A country's rating follows its best region, so check the regional table.
Checked September 29, 2026. Climate normals are refreshed yearly and the notes every 90 days. These are long-term averages, not a forecast: any given year can differ.
