Batticaloa weather in May

In May, Batticaloa sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 51 mm of rain across 9.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Batticaloa's 5th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Batticaloa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
28°
11th coldest
Rainfall
51 mm
9.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:49 AM – 6:10 PM
Cloud cover
66%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
6.23 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.4
out of 10

Batticaloa is city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.

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

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month.

A typical May day in Batticaloa reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 28°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and on par with June.

25°28°30°33°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13127
23127
33127
43127
53127
63127
73128
83128
93128
103128
113128
123128
133128
143128
153128
163128
173128
183128
193128
203128
213128
223128
233128
243128
253128
263228
273228
283228
293228
303228
313228

How May really feels in Batticaloa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Batticaloa weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 3rd-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 25°17115.511.65.6
Feb27° / 25°8811.211.76.2
Mar29° / 26°528.311.96.1
Apr30° / 27°5910.512.25.0
May31° / 28°519.412.34.4
Jun32° / 28°255.412.44.2
Jul32° / 28°245.812.44.3
Aug31° / 27°317.512.34.5
Sep30° / 27°4811.1124.5
Oct29° / 26°15218.811.84.2
Nov28° / 25°28323.511.64.1
Dec27° / 25°30221.611.64.7

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34654
44456
54456
64456
74357
84357
94159
104159
113961
123961
133862
143763
153763
163763
173664
183664
193565
203565
213466
223565
233565
243565
253565
263565
273466
283367
293367
303268
313169

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Batticaloa gets around 51 mm of rain over 9.4 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
234
334
434
534
634
733
833
933
1032
1131
1231
1330
1429
1529
1628
1728
1828
1928
2027
2127
2227
2328
2428
2528
2628
2728
2829
2929
3029
3129

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May lands in the miserable band about 87% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1595
2595
3595
4496
5496
6595
7595
8595
9694
10793
11793
12892
13991
141090
151090
161189
171288
181387
191486
201585
211684
221783
231981
242080
252179
262278
272476
282575
292773
302971
313169

Wind in May

Winds average 9 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, 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
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:52 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 6:08 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:526:08
212.35:526:09
312.35:526:09
412.35:516:09
512.35:516:09
612.35:516:09
712.35:516:09
812.35:506:09
912.35:506:09
1012.35:506:09
1112.35:506:09
1212.35:506:09
1312.35:496:10
1412.35:496:10
1512.35:496:10
1612.45:496:10
1712.45:496:10
1812.45:496:10
1912.45:496:10
2012.45:496:11
2112.45:486:11
2212.45:486:11
2312.45:486:11
2412.45:486:11
2512.45:486:12
2612.45:486:12
2712.45:486:12
2812.45:486:12
2912.45:486:13
3012.45:486:13
3112.45:486:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.23 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.2 kWh/m² to a high of 6.43 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 6.23 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.3Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Batticaloa

In seasonPeak

In May, Batticaloa sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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

Batticaloa's monsoon runs October–January, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is May a good time to visit Batticaloa?

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

4.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Batticaloa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Batticaloa in May

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

In May, Batticaloa sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Batticaloa in May

The nearest coast averages about 30°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 20 km away) is warmest in May 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
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Batticaloa in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Batticaloa peaks around April 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeApr 16UV 14Dec 20UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Batticaloa in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Batticaloa is worst in May — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 2125 µg/m³Dec 2118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan19Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar20Moderate
Apr19Moderate
May25Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug23Moderate
Sep22Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Batticaloa?

Batticaloa sits at 7.7°N, 81.7°E, 17 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Eravur Town, 12 km away.

KalmunaiAmparaVakaraiPolonnaruwaPottuvilSigiriyaBadulla

Topography around Batticaloa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Batticaloa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 19 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 44 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 844 m.

The land around Batticaloa is covered by water (33%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, water (53%) and cropland (22%) within 16 km, and water (40%) and trees (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
19 m
16 km
44 m
80 km
844 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
May weather nearby: Eravur Town 12 km · Kalmunai 37 km · Ampara 46 km · Vakarai 55 km · Polonnaruwa 80 km · Pottuvil 94 km · Sigiriya 107 km · Badulla 107 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 Batticaloa (7.7102°, 81.6924°, elevation 17 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).