Kandy in Winter

In winter (December, January and February), Kandy sees average daytime highs around 25°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 410 mm of rain over about 46 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.

Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.

Winter is Kandy's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Kandy's year-round climate.

Avg daytime high: 25°C; coldest season of the year
Avg overnight low: 18°C
Rainfall: 410 mm; 46 wet days
Avg wind: 6 km/h
Travel score: 5.8; best season of the year
Months: Dec · Jan · Feb

← Fall Kandy year-round climate Spring →

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Temperature in Kandy in Winter

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C.

A typical winter day in Kandy reaches about 25°C and drops to 18°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest February.

Kandy weather by month

How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.

Month	High / Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm)	Wet days	Daylight (hours)	Travel score
Jan	24° / 18°	110	14.4	11.6	6.1
Feb	26° / 18°	86	11	11.8	6.4
Mar	28° / 19°	83	10.9	12	6.0
Apr	28° / 20°	171	18.3	12.2	4.6
May	28° / 21°	125	20	12.3	4.5
Jun	27° / 21°	79	17.4	12.4	5.0
Jul	27° / 21°	83	18.3	12.4	5.0
Aug	27° / 20°	90	18.1	12.2	5.0
Sep	27° / 20°	121	19.2	12	4.9
Oct	27° / 20°	257	23	11.8	4.4
Nov	25° / 19°	274	23.7	11.7	4.3
Dec	24° / 19°	214	20.8	11.6	5.0

Cloud cover in Winter

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time across winter.

Chance of precipitation in Winter

Any precipitation

Kandy gets around 410 mm of rain over 46 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Humidity in Winter

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

Wind in Winter

Winds average 6 km/h across winter.

Sunrise & sunset in Winter

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min in early December to 11 h 48 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Solar energy in Winter

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.6 kWh/m².

Planning a trip in winter

Hazard calendar for Kandy

In seasonPeak

In winter, Kandy overlaps its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Kandy's rainy season runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Is winter a good time to visit Kandy?

Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.

5.8

Sightseeing

1st-best month of the year

5.2

Beach & pool

2nd-best month of the year

winter is a reasonable time to visit Kandy for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kandy in Winter

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

In winter, Kandy sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 46 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Kandy in Winter

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kandy peaks around April 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 11 (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	14	14	14	14	12	12	13	13	13	11	11
Level	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme	Extreme

	UV index (midday)	Level
Jan	11	Extreme
Feb	14	Extreme
Mar	14	Extreme
Apr	14	Extreme
May	14	Extreme
Jun	12	Extreme
Jul	12	Extreme
Aug	13	Extreme
Sep	13	Extreme
Oct	13	Extreme
Nov	11	Extreme
Dec	11	Extreme

Air quality in Kandy in Winter

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Kandy is worst in April — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), 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)	40	37	45	46	40	31	30	30	34	43	44	41
Level	Poor	Poor	Poor	Poor	Poor	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Poor	Poor	Poor

	PM2.5 (µg/m³)	Level
Jan	40	Poor
Feb	37	Poor
Mar	45	Poor
Apr	46	Poor
May	40	Poor
Jun	31	Moderate
Jul	30	Moderate
Aug	30	Moderate
Sep	34	Moderate
Oct	43	Poor
Nov	44	Poor
Dec	41	Poor

Location & terrain

Where is Kandy?

Kandy sits at 7.3°N, 80.6°E, 500 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Gampola, 16 km away.

Topography around Kandy

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kandy has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 562 m around an average of 566 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,298 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,498 m.

The land around Kandy is covered by trees (78%) within 3 km, trees (91%) within 16 km, and trees (87%) within 80 km.

3 km

562 m

trees 78%

16 km

1,298 m

trees 91%

80 km

2,498 m

trees 87%

treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater

← Fall Kandy year-round climate Spring →

Winter weather nearby: Gampola 16 km · Matale 20 km · Kegalle 32 km · Kurunegala 36 km · Nuwara Eliya 39 km · Hatton 45 km · Badulla 58 km · Dambulla 63 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 Kandy (7.2906°, 80.6336°, elevation 500 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.