Kataragama weather in December

In December, Kataragama sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 192 mm of rain across 18.1 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of December to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kataragama's 6th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kataragama's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
12th warmest
Overnight low
22°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
192 mm
18.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:12 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
73%
6th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.42 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Kataragama is city of Kataragama in Uva Province, Sri Lanka.

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kataragama reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13022
23022
32922
42922
52922
62922
72922
82922
92922
102922
112922
122922
132922
142922
152922
162922
172922
182922
192922
202922
212922
222922
232922
242922
252922
262922
272922
282922
292922
302922
312922

How December really feels in Kataragama

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 22 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
22
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

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

Kataragama weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 22°9610.711.75.0
Feb31° / 22°629.811.84.4
Mar33° / 22°7611.8123.4
Apr33° / 24°14820.512.12.7
May33° / 25°7813.412.33.0
Jun34° / 25°245.812.43.0
Jul35° / 25°204.412.32.9
Aug35° / 25°245.812.22.8
Sep34° / 25°5210.2122.8
Oct32° / 24°19318.811.92.9
Nov30° / 23°28323.811.73.2
Dec29° / 22°19218.111.64.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22773
32773
42773
52773
62773
72773
82773
92872
102971
112971
122971
133070
143070
153070
163169
173169
183367
193367
203466
213565
223565
233664
243664
253862
263862
273862
283862
293862
304060
314159

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kataragama gets around 192 mm of rain over 18.1 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 59% and peaks near 72% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
172
271
370
469
568
667
766
865
965
1064
1163
1263
1362
1461
1561
1660
1759
1858
1957
2056
2155
2254
2353
2452
2550
2649
2748
2847
2946
3045
3144

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 79% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
117902
218883
318883
419873
5110863
6111853
7111853
8112843
9113833
10113833
11113842
12114832
13114832
14215812
15215812
16216811
17217801
18217801
19218791
20219781
21220771
22222751
23323731
24324721
25326710
26327700
27328690
28429670
29430660
30430660
31431650

Wind in December

Winds average 9 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 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
17calm
27calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

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

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:05 AM to 6:19 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:055:44
211.76:055:44
311.66:065:45
411.66:065:45
511.66:075:45
611.66:075:46
711.66:085:46
811.66:085:46
911.66:095:47
1011.66:095:47
1111.66:105:48
1211.66:105:48
1311.66:105:48
1411.66:115:49
1511.66:115:49
1611.66:125:50
1711.66:125:50
1811.66:135:51
1911.66:135:51
2011.66:145:52
2111.66:145:52
2211.66:155:52
2311.66:155:53
2411.66:165:53
2511.66:165:54
2611.66:175:54
2711.66:175:55
2811.66:185:55
2911.66:185:56
3011.66:185:56
3111.66:195:57

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.42 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.27 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.42 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.7Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kataragama

In seasonPeak

In December, Kataragama sits inside its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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

Kataragama's monsoon runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Kataragama?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Kataragama for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kataragama in December

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

In December, Kataragama sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Kataragama in December

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

The sea at the nearest coast (about 32 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.

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Kataragama in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December 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 Kataragama peaks around April 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeApr 16UV 14Dec 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Kataragama in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Kataragama 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).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorNov 1847 µg/m³Jul 1327 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan42Poor
Feb36Poor
Mar41Poor
Apr44Poor
May36Poor
Jun27Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug28Moderate
Sep29Moderate
Oct41Poor
Nov48Poor
Dec44Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Kataragama?

Kataragama sits at 6.4°N, 81.3°E, 48 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Hambantota, 40 km away.

HambantotaAmbalantotaEllaBadullaPottuvilBeliattaNuwara EliyaHatton

Topography around Kataragama

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kataragama has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 371 m around an average of 70 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 401 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,334 m.

The land around Kataragama is covered by trees (80%) within 3 km, trees (83%) within 16 km, and trees (58%) and water (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
371 m
16 km
401 m
80 km
2,334 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Hambantota 40 km · Ambalantota 48 km · Ella 60 km · Badulla 70 km · Pottuvil 75 km · Beliatta 78 km · Nuwara Eliya 87 km · Hatton 97 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 Kataragama (6.4134°, 81.3346°, elevation 48 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).