Anuradhapura weather in December

In December, Anuradhapura sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 163 mm of rain across 17.7 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of December to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Anuradhapura's 6th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Anuradhapura's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
12th warmest
Overnight low
22°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
163 mm
17.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:19 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
75%
6th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Anuradhapura is city in North Central Province, Sri Lanka.

Density
8/km²
people per km²
Founded
~450 BCE

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Anuradhapura reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12923
22923
32923
42923
52923
62923
72923
82923
92923
102923
112923
122922
132922
142922
152922
162822
172822
182822
192822
202822
212822
222822
232822
242822
252822
262822
272822
282822
292822
302822
312822

How December really feels in Anuradhapura

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Anuradhapura weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 22°731111.65.4
Feb30° / 22°508.111.75.0
Mar33° / 23°498.711.93.7
Apr33° / 25°12217.312.22.7
May33° / 25°8715.712.43.1
Jun32° / 25°3911.712.53.6
Jul32° / 25°4311.112.43.5
Aug32° / 25°5612.412.33.4
Sep32° / 25°7415123.2
Oct31° / 24°19921.511.83.1
Nov30° / 23°23423.111.63.5
Dec29° / 22°16317.711.54.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 71%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12476
22476
32476
42476
52575
62575
72575
82575
92575
102575
112575
122575
132575
142575
152575
162773
172773
182872
192872
202971
213169
223169
233268
243466
253565
263664
273763
283862
293961
303961
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Anuradhapura gets around 163 mm of rain over 17.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 57% and peaks near 65% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
165
264
363
462
561
661
760
860
960
1060
1160
1260
1361
1461
1560
1660
1760
1860
1959
2058
2157
2256
2355
2454
2552
2651
2750
2849
2948
3047
3147

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1114823
2115813
3116803
4117793
5118783
6118783
7119773
8119773
9120763
10020773
11020773
12020773
13120763
14120763
15121762
16121762
17121762
18122752
19122752
20223741
21224731
22224731
23225721
24226711
25227701
26229681
27229681
28230671
29231661
30232651
31232651

Wind in December

Winds average 10 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of December to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:12 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 5:45 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:125:45
211.56:125:45
311.56:135:45
411.56:135:46
511.56:145:46
611.56:145:46
711.56:145:47
811.56:155:47
911.56:155:47
1011.56:165:48
1111.56:165:48
1211.56:175:48
1311.56:175:49
1411.56:185:49
1511.56:185:50
1611.56:195:50
1711.56:195:51
1811.56:205:51
1911.56:205:51
2011.56:215:52
2111.56:215:52
2211.56:225:53
2311.56:225:53
2411.56:235:54
2511.56:235:54
2611.56:245:55
2711.56:245:55
2811.56:255:56
2911.56:255:56
3011.56:255:57
3111.56:265:57

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.8 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.2 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 3.8 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
314.0Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Anuradhapura

In seasonPeak

In December, Anuradhapura sits inside its cyclone and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Anuradhapura sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

Anuradhapura's rainy season runs April–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Anuradhapura?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.5
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Anuradhapura for sightseeing.

What to pack for Anuradhapura in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Anuradhapura sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Anuradhapura in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 69 km away) is warmest in April at about 30°C and coldest in January near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Anuradhapura in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Anuradhapura peaks around April 22 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 9 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 22UV 13Dec 21UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Anuradhapura in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Anuradhapura is worst in April — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.6× the cleanest month (July, 19 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 1830 µg/m³Jul 2319 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan23Moderate
Feb22Moderate
Mar27Moderate
Apr31Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov27Moderate
Dec24Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Anuradhapura?

Anuradhapura sits at 8.3°N, 80.4°E, 100 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Vavuniya, 50 km away.

VavuniyaSigiriyaDambullaPuttalamPolonnaruwaKurunegalaTrincomaleeMannar

Topography around Anuradhapura

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Anuradhapura.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Anuradhapura has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 35 m around an average of 91 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 317 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,165 m.

The land around Anuradhapura is covered by trees (60%) within 3 km, trees (59%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) within 80 km.

3 km
35 m
16 km
317 m
80 km
1,165 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Vavuniya 50 km · Sigiriya 55 km · Dambulla 57 km · Puttalam 71 km · Polonnaruwa 77 km · Kurunegala 92 km · Trincomalee 94 km · Mannar 96 km

Sri Lanka travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 27% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,002
2025
Happiness
4.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
47%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.3
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
19.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 486
Religion
Buddhist 70%Hindu 13%Muslim 10%Roman Catholic 6%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Anuradhapura (8.3122°, 80.4131°, elevation 100 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).