Kurunegala weather in December

In December, Kurunegala sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 143 mm of rain across 14.3 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 8th-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 17% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of December to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kurunegala's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kurunegala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
143 mm
14.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:18 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
71%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Kurunegala is human settlement.

Density
2,597/km²
people per km²

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 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kurunegala reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°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 on par with November and about 1°C cooler than January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13023
23023
33023
43023
53023
63023
73023
83023
93023
103023
113023
123023
133023
142923
152923
162923
172923
182923
192923
202922
212922
222922
232922
242922
252922
262922
273022
283022
293022
303022
313022

How December really feels in Kurunegala

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

Kurunegala weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 22°506.111.65.1
Feb33° / 23°455.811.84.1
Mar34° / 24°701111.92.9
Apr33° / 24°17421.812.22.5
May31° / 25°17427.212.32.7
Jun30° / 25°16727.312.42.9
Jul29° / 24°14726.512.43.2
Aug29° / 24°14126.412.23.2
Sep30° / 24°15924.8123.2
Oct30° / 23°3192711.83.0
Nov30° / 23°27221.611.73.5
Dec30° / 23°14314.311.64.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22575
32575
42773
52773
62773
72773
82872
92872
102872
112971
122971
133070
143070
153169
163169
173268
183367
193466
203466
213763
223763
233862
244060
254258
264258
274456
284555
294654
304654
314753

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kurunegala gets around 143 mm of rain over 14.3 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 46% and peaks near 56% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
156
255
354
453
553
652
752
852
951
1051
1151
1250
1350
1450
1549
1649
1748
1847
1946
2045
2144
2243
2341
2440
2538
2637
2735
2834
2932
3031
3130

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 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 97% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1113842
2114832
3115822
4116812
5117802
6118792
7218782
8218782
9218782
10219772
11219772
12219772
13219772
14219781
15219781
16219781
17220771
18320761
19321751
20322750
21323740
22325720
23326710
24328690
25429670
26431650
27432640
28434620
29435610
30535600
31536590

Wind in December

Winds average 9 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 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 grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:10 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:105:46
211.66:115:46
311.66:115:47
411.66:125:47
511.66:125:47
611.66:135:48
711.66:135:48
811.66:145:48
911.66:145:49
1011.66:155:49
1111.66:155:50
1211.66:165:50
1311.66:165:50
1411.66:175:51
1511.66:175:51
1611.66:185:52
1711.66:185:52
1811.66:195:53
1911.66:195:53
2011.66:205:54
2111.66:205:54
2211.66:215:54
2311.66:215:55
2411.66:215:55
2511.66:225:56
2611.66:225:56
2711.66:235:57
2811.66:235:57
2911.66:245:58
3011.66:245:58
3111.66:255:59

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.34 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.36 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.3Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.6Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kurunegala

In seasonPeak

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

Kurunegala 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 December a good time to visit Kurunegala?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Kurunegala for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kurunegala in December

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

In December, Kurunegala sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Kurunegala 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 56 km away) 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 Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala peaks around April 18 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 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 highApr 18UV 14Dec 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala is worst in November — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.4× the cleanest month (July, 25 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorNov 1759 µg/m³Jul 2025 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan45Poor
Feb41Poor
Mar57Unhealthy
Apr59Unhealthy
May42Poor
Jun27Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep30Moderate
Oct49Poor
Nov60Unhealthy
Dec52Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Kurunegala?

Kurunegala sits at 7.5°N, 80.4°E, 146 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Kegalle, 26 km away.

KegalleMataleKandyGampolaDambullaKatunayakaChilawNegombo

Topography around Kurunegala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kurunegala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 211 m around an average of 134 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 749 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,500 m.

The land around Kurunegala is covered by trees (68%) within 3 km, trees (84%) within 16 km, and trees (80%) within 80 km.

3 km
211 m
16 km
749 m
80 km
2,500 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Kegalle 26 km · Matale 28 km · Kandy 36 km · Gampola 42 km · Dambulla 52 km · Katunayaka 63 km · Chilaw 64 km · Negombo 66 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 Kurunegala (7.4839°, 80.3683°, elevation 146 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).