Jaffna weather in May
In May, Jaffna sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 58 mm of rain across 7.6 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 6th-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 33% 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 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Jaffna's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Jaffna's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 30°
- 1st warmest
- Overnight low
- 28°
- 12th coldest
- Rainfall
- 58 mm
- 7.6 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 24 min
- 5:53 AM – 6:19 PM
- Cloud cover
- 60%
- 5th clearest
- Wind
- 27 km/h
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.27 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.0
- out of 10
Jaffna is capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
- Density
- 8,371/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1621
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.
A typical May day in Jaffna reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 28°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs on par with April and on par with June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 28 |
| 2 | 31 | 28 |
| 3 | 31 | 28 |
| 4 | 31 | 28 |
| 5 | 31 | 28 |
| 6 | 31 | 28 |
| 7 | 31 | 28 |
| 8 | 31 | 28 |
| 9 | 31 | 28 |
| 10 | 31 | 28 |
| 11 | 31 | 28 |
| 12 | 31 | 29 |
| 13 | 31 | 29 |
| 14 | 31 | 29 |
| 15 | 30 | 29 |
| 16 | 30 | 29 |
| 17 | 30 | 29 |
| 18 | 30 | 29 |
| 19 | 30 | 29 |
| 20 | 30 | 29 |
| 21 | 30 | 29 |
| 22 | 30 | 29 |
| 23 | 30 | 29 |
| 24 | 30 | 29 |
| 25 | 30 | 29 |
| 26 | 30 | 29 |
| 27 | 30 | 29 |
| 28 | 30 | 29 |
| 29 | 30 | 29 |
| 30 | 30 | 29 |
| 31 | 30 | 28 |
How May really feels in Jaffna
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.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Jaffna weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 1st-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 25° | 62 | 6.7 | 11.5 | 7.0 |
| Feb | 28° / 25° | 25 | 4.2 | 11.7 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 26° | 22 | 3.4 | 11.9 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 30° / 28° | 45 | 7.7 | 12.2 | 5.2 |
| May | 30° / 28° | 58 | 7.6 | 12.4 | 5.0 |
| Jun | 30° / 28° | 27 | 5.5 | 12.6 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 30° / 28° | 33 | 9.2 | 12.5 | 4.9 |
| Aug | 29° / 28° | 48 | 10.5 | 12.3 | 5.0 |
| Sep | 29° / 27° | 67 | 12 | 12.1 | 4.9 |
| Oct | 29° / 27° | 208 | 20.9 | 11.8 | 4.2 |
| Nov | 28° / 26° | 313 | 22 | 11.6 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 27° / 25° | 200 | 16.3 | 11.4 | 5.5 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 55 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 41 | 41 | 39 |
| Cloudier (%) | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 59 | 59 | 61 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | 45 |
| 2 | 54 | 46 |
| 3 | 54 | 46 |
| 4 | 54 | 46 |
| 5 | 54 | 46 |
| 6 | 53 | 47 |
| 7 | 52 | 48 |
| 8 | 52 | 48 |
| 9 | 52 | 48 |
| 10 | 52 | 48 |
| 11 | 51 | 49 |
| 12 | 51 | 49 |
| 13 | 51 | 49 |
| 14 | 51 | 49 |
| 15 | 50 | 50 |
| 16 | 50 | 50 |
| 17 | 50 | 50 |
| 18 | 49 | 51 |
| 19 | 48 | 52 |
| 20 | 47 | 53 |
| 21 | 47 | 53 |
| 22 | 47 | 53 |
| 23 | 45 | 55 |
| 24 | 45 | 55 |
| 25 | 45 | 55 |
| 26 | 44 | 56 |
| 27 | 44 | 56 |
| 28 | 43 | 57 |
| 29 | 41 | 59 |
| 30 | 41 | 59 |
| 31 | 39 | 61 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Jaffna gets around 58 mm of rain over 7.6 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 24% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 30 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 31 |
| 5 | 31 |
| 6 | 30 |
| 7 | 30 |
| 8 | 30 |
| 9 | 29 |
| 10 | 29 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 27 |
| 13 | 26 |
| 14 | 24 |
| 15 | 23 |
| 16 | 22 |
| 17 | 21 |
| 18 | 20 |
| 19 | 19 |
| 20 | 19 |
| 21 | 19 |
| 22 | 18 |
| 23 | 18 |
| 24 | 18 |
| 25 | 18 |
| 26 | 18 |
| 27 | 18 |
| 28 | 18 |
| 29 | 19 |
| 30 | 19 |
| 31 | 20 |
Humidity in May
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 99% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oppressive (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Miserable (%) | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 99 |
| Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 99 |
| 2 | 1 | 99 |
| 3 | 1 | 99 |
| 4 | 1 | 99 |
| 5 | 1 | 99 |
| 6 | 1 | 99 |
| 7 | 1 | 99 |
| 8 | 1 | 99 |
| 9 | 1 | 99 |
| 10 | 1 | 99 |
| 11 | 1 | 99 |
| 12 | 1 | 99 |
| 13 | 1 | 99 |
| 14 | 1 | 99 |
| 15 | 1 | 99 |
| 16 | 1 | 99 |
| 17 | 1 | 99 |
| 18 | 0 | 100 |
| 19 | 0 | 100 |
| 20 | 0 | 100 |
| 21 | 0 | 100 |
| 22 | 0 | 100 |
| 23 | 0 | 100 |
| 24 | 0 | 100 |
| 25 | 0 | 100 |
| 26 | 0 | 100 |
| 27 | 0 | 100 |
| 28 | 0 | 100 |
| 29 | 0 | 100 |
| 30 | 1 | 99 |
| 31 | 1 | 99 |
Wind in May
Winds average 27 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 31 km/h at its breeziest. Calmer and breezier days trade off through the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy | windy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | breezy |
| 2 | 21 | breezy |
| 3 | 22 | breezy |
| 4 | 22 | breezy |
| 5 | 23 | breezy |
| 6 | 23 | breezy |
| 7 | 24 | breezy |
| 8 | 24 | breezy |
| 9 | 24 | breezy |
| 10 | 25 | breezy |
| 11 | 25 | breezy |
| 12 | 26 | breezy |
| 13 | 26 | breezy |
| 14 | 27 | breezy |
| 15 | 27 | breezy |
| 16 | 28 | breezy |
| 17 | 28 | breezy |
| 18 | 28 | breezy |
| 19 | 29 | breezy |
| 20 | 29 | windy |
| 21 | 29 | windy |
| 22 | 30 | windy |
| 23 | 30 | windy |
| 24 | 30 | windy |
| 25 | 30 | windy |
| 26 | 30 | windy |
| 27 | 31 | windy |
| 28 | 31 | windy |
| 29 | 31 | windy |
| 30 | 31 | windy |
| 31 | 31 | windy |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of May to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 12 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:57 AM to 5:52 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:23 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:23 | 6:23 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.3 | 5:57 | 6:17 |
| 2 | 12.3 | 5:57 | 6:17 |
| 3 | 12.4 | 5:56 | 6:17 |
| 4 | 12.4 | 5:56 | 6:18 |
| 5 | 12.4 | 5:56 | 6:18 |
| 6 | 12.4 | 5:55 | 6:18 |
| 7 | 12.4 | 5:55 | 6:18 |
| 8 | 12.4 | 5:55 | 6:18 |
| 9 | 12.4 | 5:55 | 6:18 |
| 10 | 12.4 | 5:54 | 6:18 |
| 11 | 12.4 | 5:54 | 6:19 |
| 12 | 12.4 | 5:54 | 6:19 |
| 13 | 12.4 | 5:54 | 6:19 |
| 14 | 12.4 | 5:53 | 6:19 |
| 15 | 12.4 | 5:53 | 6:19 |
| 16 | 12.4 | 5:53 | 6:19 |
| 17 | 12.4 | 5:53 | 6:20 |
| 18 | 12.5 | 5:53 | 6:20 |
| 19 | 12.5 | 5:53 | 6:20 |
| 20 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:20 |
| 21 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:20 |
| 22 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:21 |
| 23 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:21 |
| 24 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:21 |
| 25 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:21 |
| 26 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:22 |
| 27 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:22 |
| 28 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:22 |
| 29 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:22 |
| 30 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:23 |
| 31 | 12.5 | 5:52 | 6:23 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.27 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.22 kWh/m² to a high of 6.58 kWh/m² in March across the year — May's 6.27 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Jaffna
In May, Jaffna sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Jaffna sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Jaffna's monsoon runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Jaffna?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Jaffna for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Jaffna in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Jaffna sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 8 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Jaffna 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 14 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Jaffna in May
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 Jaffna peaks around August 17 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 8 (very high).
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) | 8 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 14 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Jaffna in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Jaffna is worst in May — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 20 | Moderate |
| Apr | 20 | Moderate |
| May | 24 | Moderate |
| Jun | 19 | Moderate |
| Jul | 18 | Moderate |
| Aug | 19 | Moderate |
| Sep | 17 | Moderate |
| Oct | 18 | Moderate |
| Nov | 17 | Moderate |
| Dec | 19 | Moderate |
Where is Jaffna?
Jaffna sits at 9.7°N, 80.0°E, 7 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Valvedditturai, 24 km away.
Topography around Jaffna
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Jaffna.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Jaffna has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 22 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 99 m.
The land around Jaffna is covered by water (45%), trees (26%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and water (77%) 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 Jaffna (9.6684°, 80.0074°, elevation 7 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).