Matara weather in October

In October, Matara sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 250 mm of rain across 26.6 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-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 6% of the time in October, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Matara's 6th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Matara's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
9th warmest
Overnight low
24°
5th coldest
Rainfall
250 mm
26.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
5:57 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
78%
6th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Matara is city in Southern, Sri Lanka.

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

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

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

A typical October day in Matara reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs on par with September and on par with November.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12925
22925
32925
42925
52925
62925
72925
82925
92925
102925
112925
122925
132924
142924
152924
162924
172924
182924
192924
202924
212924
222924
232924
242924
252924
262924
272924
282924
292924
302924
312924

How October really feels in Matara

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

Matara weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 23°9714.311.74.7
Feb30° / 24°7812.511.84.5
Mar31° / 25°9918123.9
Apr30° / 25°18225.512.13.1
May29° / 26°22428.212.33.0
Jun29° / 25°18726.912.33.2
Jul28° / 25°15926.812.33.4
Aug28° / 25°1592712.23.4
Sep28° / 25°19626.2123.4
Oct29° / 24°25026.611.93.4
Nov29° / 24°29625.411.73.4
Dec29° / 24°19921.411.74.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 79%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12179
22179
32278
42278
52377
62377
72377
82377
92377
102377
112377
122377
132377
142377
152377
162377
172377
182278
192179
202080
212080
222080
232080
242080
252080
262080
271981
281981
291981
301981
311981

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Matara gets around 250 mm of rain over 26.6 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 86% and peaks near 88% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
186
285
385
485
585
685
785
885
985
1085
1185
1286
1386
1486
1586
1687
1787
1887
1987
2087
2187
2287
2387
2487
2587
2687
2788
2888
2988
3088
3188

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the oppressive band about 61% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
15545
25545
35545
45545
55545
65545
75545
85545
95545
105545
115545
125644
135644
145743
155842
165842
175941
186040
196139
206238
216337
226436
236535
246634
256733
266832
276931
287030
297129
307129
317228

Wind in October

Winds average 14 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:58 AM to 5:58 AM, and sunset from 5:55 PM to 5:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.95:585:55
211.95:585:55
311.95:585:54
411.95:585:54
511.95:585:53
611.95:585:53
711.95:585:52
811.95:575:52
911.95:575:52
1011.95:575:51
1111.95:575:51
1211.95:575:50
1311.95:575:50
1411.95:575:50
1511.95:575:49
1611.95:575:49
1711.95:575:49
1811.95:575:48
1911.95:575:48
2011.85:575:48
2111.85:575:47
2211.85:575:47
2311.85:575:47
2411.85:575:47
2511.85:575:46
2611.85:575:46
2711.85:575:46
2811.85:575:46
2911.85:575:45
3011.85:585:45
3111.85:585:45

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 5.31 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.83 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in March across the year — October's 5.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Matara

In seasonPeak

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

Matara 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 October a good time to visit Matara?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Matara.

What to pack for Matara in October

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

In October, Matara sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 27 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Matara in October

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

The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in April at about 30°C and coldest in July near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Matara in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October 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 Matara peaks around April 17 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeApr 17UV 14Jan 11UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb14Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Matara in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Matara is worst in January — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (September, 16 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJan 1834 µg/m³Sep 1316 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan35Moderate
Feb31Moderate
Mar25Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov25Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Matara?

Matara sits at 5.9°N, 80.5°E, 9 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Devinuwara, 6.0 km away.

BeliattaUnawatunaGalleAmbalantotaAmbalangoda

Topography around Matara

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Matara has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 69 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 236 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,507 m.

The land around Matara is covered by trees (39%) and water (32%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (41%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (42%) within 80 km.

3 km
69 m
16 km
236 m
80 km
1,507 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Devinuwara 6.0 km · Mirissa 9.0 km · Weligama 12 km · Beliatta 25 km · Unawatuna 33 km · Galle 38 km · Ambalantota 57 km · Ambalangoda 62 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 Matara (5.9485°, 80.5353°, elevation 9 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).