Climate and average weather in Badulla
In Badulla, the summers are hot, fairly dry, and mostly cloudy and the winters are warm and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Badulla typically varies from 18°C to 30°C, and is rarely below 15°C or above 32°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Badulla for warm-weather activities is from early January to late March.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 30°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 18°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 272 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 52 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1662 mm
- 185 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.6–12.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 683 m
- 7.0°N
- Clearest
- Mar
- 54% cloud
Badulla is city in Sri Lanka.
- Density
- 4,759/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Badulla weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to late March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Badulla, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Badulla stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30°C and low of 22°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 18°C and high of 24°C.
Days typically run about 8°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 9°C) in March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 24 |
| Avg low (°C) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 18 |
| Feb | 25 | 18 |
| Mar | 27 | 18 |
| Apr | 28 | 20 |
| May | 29 | 21 |
| Jun | 30 | 22 |
| Jul | 30 | 22 |
| Aug | 30 | 21 |
| Sep | 30 | 21 |
| Oct | 28 | 20 |
| Nov | 25 | 19 |
| Dec | 24 | 19 |
Average hourly temperature in Badulla
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 30°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 18°C.
Badulla weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24° / 18° | 127 | 15.7 | 11.6 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 25° / 18° | 87 | 12.7 | 11.8 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 27° / 18° | 80 | 12.2 | 12 | 6.0 |
| Apr | 28° / 20° | 167 | 19.7 | 12.1 | 4.4 |
| May | 29° / 21° | 140 | 17 | 12.3 | 4.3 |
| Jun | 30° / 22° | 52 | 9.6 | 12.4 | 4.7 |
| Jul | 30° / 22° | 52 | 7.7 | 12.4 | 4.8 |
| Aug | 30° / 21° | 69 | 9.5 | 12.2 | 4.7 |
| Sep | 30° / 21° | 127 | 13.4 | 12 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 28° / 20° | 268 | 21.6 | 11.8 | 4.4 |
| Nov | 25° / 19° | 272 | 24.5 | 11.7 | 4.2 |
| Dec | 24° / 19° | 222 | 21.4 | 11.6 | 5.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Badulla gets about 1662 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.6 months, from around Sep 26 to Jan 14, peaking in November at about 82% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 30.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 272 mm over about 25 wet days; July is the driest, with 52 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 51 | 45 | 41 | 64 | 54 | 32 | 25 | 31 | 44 | 70 | 81 | 69 |
| Rain days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 22 | 25 | 21 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 16 |
| Feb | 45 | 13 |
| Mar | 41 | 12 |
| Apr | 64 | 20 |
| May | 54 | 17 |
| Jun | 32 | 10 |
| Jul | 25 | 8 |
| Aug | 31 | 10 |
| Sep | 44 | 13 |
| Oct | 70 | 22 |
| Nov | 81 | 25 |
| Dec | 69 | 21 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Badulla collects about 1662 mm of rain across 185 wet days — roughly 139 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 272 mm, while July is the driest at just 52 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 46% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 127 | 87 | 80 | 167 | 140 | 52 | 52 | 69 | 127 | 268 | 272 | 222 |
| Rain days | 16 | 13 | 12 | 20 | 17 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 22 | 25 | 21 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 127 | 16 |
| Feb | 87 | 13 |
| Mar | 80 | 12 |
| Apr | 167 | 20 |
| May | 140 | 17 |
| Jun | 52 | 10 |
| Jul | 52 | 8 |
| Aug | 69 | 10 |
| Sep | 127 | 13 |
| Oct | 268 | 22 |
| Nov | 272 | 25 |
| Dec | 222 | 21 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Badulla, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around December 28 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around May 14. The clearest month is March, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 55% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 15 and lasts for 7.5 months, ending around December 27. The cloudiest month is November, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 83% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 33 | 45 | 55 | 37 | 26 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 23 |
| Cloudier (%) | 67 | 55 | 45 | 63 | 74 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 77 | 81 | 83 | 77 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 67 |
| Feb | 45 | 55 |
| Mar | 55 | 45 |
| Apr | 37 | 63 |
| May | 26 | 74 |
| Jun | 20 | 80 |
| Jul | 17 | 83 |
| Aug | 19 | 81 |
| Sep | 23 | 77 |
| Oct | 19 | 81 |
| Nov | 17 | 83 |
| Dec | 23 | 77 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around May 25, brings about 12 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 0 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:17 | 6:01 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 6:00 | 6:03 | 5:59 | 5:55 | 6:01 | 6:14 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:04 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:18 | 6:22 | 6:17 | 6:01 | 5:46 | 5:41 | 5:50 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.6 | 6:26 | 6:04 |
| Feb | 11.8 | 6:27 | 6:14 |
| Mar | 12.0 | 6:17 | 6:14 |
| Apr | 12.1 | 6:01 | 6:11 |
| May | 12.3 | 5:53 | 6:12 |
| Jun | 12.4 | 5:54 | 6:18 |
| Jul | 12.4 | 6:00 | 6:22 |
| Aug | 12.2 | 6:03 | 6:17 |
| Sep | 12.0 | 5:59 | 6:01 |
| Oct | 11.8 | 5:55 | 5:46 |
| Nov | 11.7 | 6:01 | 5:41 |
| Dec | 11.6 | 6:14 | 5:50 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Badulla averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 11 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.0 months, from around Dec 31 to May 1. The sunniest month is March, with roughly 10 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is June, down near 2 sunny days — about 76% fewer than the March peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 5 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 7 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 10 | Mixed |
| Apr | 6 | Gloomy |
| May | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 2 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 2 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 2 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 2 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 2 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 2 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 3 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Badulla, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.2 months, from around April 5 to July 9. The muggiest month is April, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 98% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around December 26 to April 4, and February is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 15% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 10 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Humid (%) | 34 | 31 | 31 | 13 | 11 | 44 | 70 | 65 | 46 | 23 | 11 | 22 |
| Muggy (%) | 55 | 54 | 56 | 81 | 77 | 52 | 24 | 28 | 46 | 73 | 88 | 74 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 10 | 34 | 55 | 0 |
| Feb | 3 | 13 | 31 | 54 | 0 |
| Mar | 2 | 11 | 31 | 56 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 2 | 13 | 81 | 3 |
| May | 0 | 0 | 11 | 77 | 11 |
| Jun | 0 | 2 | 44 | 52 | 2 |
| Jul | 0 | 6 | 70 | 24 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 7 | 65 | 28 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 7 | 46 | 46 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 4 | 23 | 73 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 | 11 | 88 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 4 | 22 | 74 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Badulla is typically calm, near 6 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 4.3 months, from around May 17 to Sep 24. The windiest month is June, averaging about 8 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Sep 25 to May 16, with November the calmest month at about 4 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | calm |
| Feb | 5 | calm |
| Mar | 5 | calm |
| Apr | 4 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 7 | calm |
| Sep | 6 | calm |
| Oct | 5 | calm |
| Nov | 4 | calm |
| Dec | 5 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Badulla
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Badulla's rainy season runs April–May, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Badulla
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Badulla throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid January, Badulla is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Badulla for general outdoor tourist activities is from late December to late March, with a peak score in the third week of February.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 5.0 |
| Rating | good | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.9 | good |
| Feb | 6.2 | good |
| Mar | 6.0 | good |
| Apr | 4.4 | fair |
| May | 4.3 | fair |
| Jun | 4.6 | fair |
| Jul | 4.8 | fair |
| Aug | 4.7 | fair |
| Sep | 4.6 | fair |
| Oct | 4.4 | fair |
| Nov | 4.3 | fair |
| Dec | 5.0 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Badulla for hot-weather activities run from early February to early April and again from early May to early October, with a peak score in the last week of June.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Badulla, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 30°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 24°C), pack light clothes and rain gear.
In July, Badulla sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 8 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Badulla by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Badulla peaks around April 13 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 10 (extreme).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 14 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Badulla
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in April the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 8 | 6 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 8 | 6.5 |
| May | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 8 | 6 |
| Jul | 8 | 6 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 8 | 6.5 |
| Oct | 7.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 7.5 | 5 |
Air quality in Badulla by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Badulla is worst in November — around 48 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 1.8× the cleanest month (July, 27 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 42 | 36 | 41 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 41 | 48 | 44 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | Poor |
| Feb | 36 | Poor |
| Mar | 41 | Poor |
| Apr | 44 | Poor |
| May | 36 | Poor |
| Jun | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 29 | Moderate |
| Oct | 41 | Poor |
| Nov | 48 | Poor |
| Dec | 44 | Poor |
Growing season
Badulla is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Badulla banks about 5,003 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 338 | 319 | 396 | 421 | 474 | 475 | 492 | 486 | 455 | 425 | 368 | 353 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 338 |
| Feb | 319 |
| Mar | 396 |
| Apr | 421 |
| May | 474 |
| Jun | 475 |
| Jul | 492 |
| Aug | 486 |
| Sep | 455 |
| Oct | 425 |
| Nov | 368 |
| Dec | 353 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Badulla receives about 5.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.9 and 6.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.9 months, from around Feb 11 to Oct 9. The brightest month is March, averaging about 6.1 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.9 kWh/m² — roughly 36% less than the March peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.5 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.5 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.4 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.2 | Intense |
| Apr | 5.8 | Bright |
| May | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.6 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.6 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.7 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.7 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.1 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.2 | Bright |
| Dec | 3.9 | Moderate |
Where is Badulla?
Badulla sits at 7.0°N, 81.1°E, 683 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Ella, 12 km away.
Topography around Badulla
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Badulla.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Badulla has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 489 m around an average of 789 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,860 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,497 m.
The land around Badulla is covered by trees (77%) within 3 km, trees (83%) within 16 km, and trees (84%) within 80 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
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 Badulla (6.9802°, 81.0577°, elevation 683 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. 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).