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
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.
| 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) | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | 22 |
| 2 | 30 | 22 |
| 3 | 29 | 22 |
| 4 | 29 | 22 |
| 5 | 29 | 22 |
| 6 | 29 | 22 |
| 7 | 29 | 22 |
| 8 | 29 | 22 |
| 9 | 29 | 22 |
| 10 | 29 | 22 |
| 11 | 29 | 22 |
| 12 | 29 | 22 |
| 13 | 29 | 22 |
| 14 | 29 | 22 |
| 15 | 29 | 22 |
| 16 | 29 | 22 |
| 17 | 29 | 22 |
| 18 | 29 | 22 |
| 19 | 29 | 22 |
| 20 | 29 | 22 |
| 21 | 29 | 22 |
| 22 | 29 | 22 |
| 23 | 29 | 22 |
| 24 | 29 | 22 |
| 25 | 29 | 22 |
| 26 | 29 | 22 |
| 27 | 29 | 22 |
| 28 | 29 | 22 |
| 29 | 29 | 22 |
| 30 | 29 | 22 |
| 31 | 29 | 22 |
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.
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.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 22° | 96 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 5.0 |
| Feb | 31° / 22° | 62 | 9.8 | 11.8 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 33° / 22° | 76 | 11.8 | 12 | 3.4 |
| Apr | 33° / 24° | 148 | 20.5 | 12.1 | 2.7 |
| May | 33° / 25° | 78 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 3.0 |
| Jun | 34° / 25° | 24 | 5.8 | 12.4 | 3.0 |
| Jul | 35° / 25° | 20 | 4.4 | 12.3 | 2.9 |
| Aug | 35° / 25° | 24 | 5.8 | 12.2 | 2.8 |
| Sep | 34° / 25° | 52 | 10.2 | 12 | 2.8 |
| Oct | 32° / 24° | 193 | 18.8 | 11.9 | 2.9 |
| Nov | 30° / 23° | 283 | 23.8 | 11.7 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 29° / 22° | 192 | 18.1 | 11.6 | 4.2 |
Cloud cover in December
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.
| 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 (%) | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 41 |
| Cloudier (%) | 74 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 60 | 59 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 74 |
| 2 | 27 | 73 |
| 3 | 27 | 73 |
| 4 | 27 | 73 |
| 5 | 27 | 73 |
| 6 | 27 | 73 |
| 7 | 27 | 73 |
| 8 | 27 | 73 |
| 9 | 28 | 72 |
| 10 | 29 | 71 |
| 11 | 29 | 71 |
| 12 | 29 | 71 |
| 13 | 30 | 70 |
| 14 | 30 | 70 |
| 15 | 30 | 70 |
| 16 | 31 | 69 |
| 17 | 31 | 69 |
| 18 | 33 | 67 |
| 19 | 33 | 67 |
| 20 | 34 | 66 |
| 21 | 35 | 65 |
| 22 | 35 | 65 |
| 23 | 36 | 64 |
| 24 | 36 | 64 |
| 25 | 38 | 62 |
| 26 | 38 | 62 |
| 27 | 38 | 62 |
| 28 | 38 | 62 |
| 29 | 38 | 62 |
| 30 | 40 | 60 |
| 31 | 41 | 59 |
Chance of precipitation in December
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.
| 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 (%) | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 72 |
| 2 | 71 |
| 3 | 70 |
| 4 | 69 |
| 5 | 68 |
| 6 | 67 |
| 7 | 66 |
| 8 | 65 |
| 9 | 65 |
| 10 | 64 |
| 11 | 63 |
| 12 | 63 |
| 13 | 62 |
| 14 | 61 |
| 15 | 61 |
| 16 | 60 |
| 17 | 59 |
| 18 | 58 |
| 19 | 57 |
| 20 | 56 |
| 21 | 55 |
| 22 | 54 |
| 23 | 53 |
| 24 | 52 |
| 25 | 50 |
| 26 | 49 |
| 27 | 48 |
| 28 | 47 |
| 29 | 46 |
| 30 | 45 |
| 31 | 44 |
Humidity in December
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.
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
| Oppressive (%) | 90 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 65 |
| Miserable (%) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 7 | 90 | 2 |
| 2 | 1 | 8 | 88 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 8 | 88 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | 9 | 87 | 3 |
| 5 | 1 | 10 | 86 | 3 |
| 6 | 1 | 11 | 85 | 3 |
| 7 | 1 | 11 | 85 | 3 |
| 8 | 1 | 12 | 84 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 | 13 | 83 | 3 |
| 10 | 1 | 13 | 83 | 3 |
| 11 | 1 | 13 | 84 | 2 |
| 12 | 1 | 14 | 83 | 2 |
| 13 | 1 | 14 | 83 | 2 |
| 14 | 2 | 15 | 81 | 2 |
| 15 | 2 | 15 | 81 | 2 |
| 16 | 2 | 16 | 81 | 1 |
| 17 | 2 | 17 | 80 | 1 |
| 18 | 2 | 17 | 80 | 1 |
| 19 | 2 | 18 | 79 | 1 |
| 20 | 2 | 19 | 78 | 1 |
| 21 | 2 | 20 | 77 | 1 |
| 22 | 2 | 22 | 75 | 1 |
| 23 | 3 | 23 | 73 | 1 |
| 24 | 3 | 24 | 72 | 1 |
| 25 | 3 | 26 | 71 | 0 |
| 26 | 3 | 27 | 70 | 0 |
| 27 | 3 | 28 | 69 | 0 |
| 28 | 4 | 29 | 67 | 0 |
| 29 | 4 | 30 | 66 | 0 |
| 30 | 4 | 30 | 66 | 0 |
| 31 | 4 | 31 | 65 | 0 |
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.
| 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) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | calm |
| 2 | 7 | calm |
| 3 | 8 | calm |
| 4 | 8 | calm |
| 5 | 8 | calm |
| 6 | 8 | calm |
| 7 | 8 | calm |
| 8 | 8 | calm |
| 9 | 8 | calm |
| 10 | 8 | calm |
| 11 | 9 | calm |
| 12 | 9 | calm |
| 13 | 9 | calm |
| 14 | 9 | calm |
| 15 | 9 | calm |
| 16 | 9 | calm |
| 17 | 9 | calm |
| 18 | 9 | calm |
| 19 | 9 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 10 | calm |
| 30 | 10 | calm |
| 31 | 10 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in December
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.
| 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) | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:44 | 5:44 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:47 | 5:47 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:57 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.7 | 6:05 | 5:44 |
| 2 | 11.7 | 6:05 | 5:44 |
| 3 | 11.6 | 6:06 | 5:45 |
| 4 | 11.6 | 6:06 | 5:45 |
| 5 | 11.6 | 6:07 | 5:45 |
| 6 | 11.6 | 6:07 | 5:46 |
| 7 | 11.6 | 6:08 | 5:46 |
| 8 | 11.6 | 6:08 | 5:46 |
| 9 | 11.6 | 6:09 | 5:47 |
| 10 | 11.6 | 6:09 | 5:47 |
| 11 | 11.6 | 6:10 | 5:48 |
| 12 | 11.6 | 6:10 | 5:48 |
| 13 | 11.6 | 6:10 | 5:48 |
| 14 | 11.6 | 6:11 | 5:49 |
| 15 | 11.6 | 6:11 | 5:49 |
| 16 | 11.6 | 6:12 | 5:50 |
| 17 | 11.6 | 6:12 | 5:50 |
| 18 | 11.6 | 6:13 | 5:51 |
| 19 | 11.6 | 6:13 | 5:51 |
| 20 | 11.6 | 6:14 | 5:52 |
| 21 | 11.6 | 6:14 | 5:52 |
| 22 | 11.6 | 6:15 | 5:52 |
| 23 | 11.6 | 6:15 | 5:53 |
| 24 | 11.6 | 6:16 | 5:53 |
| 25 | 11.6 | 6:16 | 5:54 |
| 26 | 11.6 | 6:17 | 5:54 |
| 27 | 11.6 | 6:17 | 5:55 |
| 28 | 11.6 | 6:18 | 5:55 |
| 29 | 11.6 | 6:18 | 5:56 |
| 30 | 11.6 | 6:18 | 5:56 |
| 31 | 11.6 | 6:19 | 5:57 |
Solar energy in December
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.
| 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) | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 8 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 9 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 10 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 11 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 12 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 13 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 14 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 15 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 16 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 31 | 4.7 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Kataragama
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.
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).
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.
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 28 | Tropical |
| Aug | 28 | Warm |
| Sep | 28 | Warm |
| Oct | 28 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Kataragama in December
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Extreme |
Air quality in Kataragama in December
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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 42 | 36 | 41 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 41 | 48 | 44 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | Poor |
| Feb | 36 | Poor |
| Mar | 41 | Poor |
| Apr | 44 | Poor |
| May | 36 | Poor |
| Jun | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 29 | Moderate |
| Oct | 41 | Poor |
| Nov | 48 | Poor |
| Dec | 44 | Poor |
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.
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.
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 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).