Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia weather in January

In January, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 60 mm of rain across 8.8 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
25°
1st coldest
Rainfall
60 mm
8.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:31 AM – 6:09 PM
Cloud cover
57%
3rd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.51 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is suburb of Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka.

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical January day in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12925
22925
32925
42925
52925
62925
72925
82925
92925
102925
112925
122925
132925
142925
152925
162925
173025
183025
193025
203025
213025
223025
233025
243025
253025
263025
273025
283025
293025
303025
313025

How January really feels in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January 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 January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 25°608.811.65.4
Feb30° / 25°578.511.85.2
Mar30° / 26°7514.9124.5
Apr30° / 26°17424.412.13.3
May29° / 27°2932912.33.0
Jun29° / 26°25726.512.43.3
Jul28° / 26°20525.312.43.7
Aug28° / 26°18324.612.23.8
Sep28° / 26°23224.3123.7
Oct28° / 25°3282611.83.6
Nov29° / 25°33023.811.73.7
Dec29° / 25°17516.711.64.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25149
35248
45248
55149
65149
75149
85149
95149
105149
115149
125149
135149
145149
155149
165149
175149
185149
195149
205149
215149
225050
235149
245149
255149
265248
275248
285347
295347
305347
315446

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia gets around 60 mm of rain over 8.8 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
235
335
434
534
634
734
833
933
1032
1131
1231
1330
1429
1528
1627
1727
1826
1925
2025
2124
2224
2324
2424
2524
2625
2725
2825
2926
3026
3127

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 67% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 97% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1223714
2224704
3224713
4223723
5323713
6323713
7324712
8324712
9324712
10325711
11325711
12326701
13327691
14328681
15329671
16330661
17331651
18332641
19333631
20333631
21334621
22334621
23334621
24334621
25334621
26333631
27332641
28331651
29331651
30330652
31329662

Wind in January

Winds average 14 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 6:33 AM, and sunset from 6:02 PM to 6:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:256:02
211.66:266:02
311.66:266:03
411.66:276:03
511.66:276:04
611.66:276:04
711.66:286:05
811.66:286:05
911.66:286:06
1011.66:296:06
1111.66:296:07
1211.66:296:07
1311.66:306:08
1411.66:306:08
1511.66:306:09
1611.66:316:09
1711.66:316:10
1811.66:316:10
1911.76:316:10
2011.76:316:11
2111.76:326:11
2211.76:326:12
2311.76:326:12
2411.76:326:12
2511.76:326:13
2611.76:326:13
2711.76:336:14
2811.76:336:14
2911.76:336:14
3011.76:336:15
3111.76:336:15

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.51 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.62 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 5.51 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

In seasonPeak

None of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

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

Is January a good time to visit Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in January

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

In January, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in January

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

The sea offshore is warmest in April at about 30°C and coldest in August 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
Jan28Warm
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia peaks around September 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highSep 10UV 13Dec 15UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is worst in February — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (September, 18 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModerateFeb 1437 µg/m³Sep 1118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan36Poor
Feb37Poor
Mar36Poor
Apr28Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov30Moderate
Dec34Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia?

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia sits at 6.8°N, 79.9°E, 16 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Maharagama, 6.0 km away.

Topography around Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 33 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 74 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,145 m.

The land around Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and water (32%) within 3 km, water (50%), trees (25%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 16 km, and trees (59%) and water (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
33 m
16 km
74 m
80 km
2,145 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Maharagama 6.0 km · Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte 6.0 km · Pita Kotte 7.0 km · Moratuwa 8.0 km · Battaramulla South 8.0 km · Kolonnawa 10 km · Kotikawatta 11 km · Colombo 11 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 Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia (6.8402°, 79.8712°, elevation 16 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).