Polonnaruwa weather in August

In August, Polonnaruwa sees average daytime highs of 35°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 32 mm of rain across 5.6 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of August to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Polonnaruwa's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Polonnaruwa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
26°
9th coldest
Rainfall
32 mm
5.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:02 AM – 6:18 PM
Cloud cover
77%
9th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
5.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.7
out of 10

Polonnaruwa is town in North Central Province, Sri Lanka.

Founded
1070

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

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month.

A typical August day in Polonnaruwa reaches about 35°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and on par with September.

25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13526
23526
33526
43526
53526
63526
73526
83526
93526
103526
113526
123526
133526
143526
153526
163526
173526
183526
193526
203526
213526
223526
233526
243526
253526
263526
273526
283526
293526
303526
313526

How August really feels in Polonnaruwa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August 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
19 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

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

Polonnaruwa weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 22°11014.311.64.8
Feb30° / 22°7310.711.74.7
Mar33° / 23°509.111.93.8
Apr34° / 25°9214.212.22.5
May35° / 26°679.312.42.5
Jun35° / 27°184.112.52.8
Jul35° / 26°265.412.42.8
Aug35° / 26°325.612.32.7
Sep35° / 26°538.2122.6
Oct33° / 25°18117.311.82.7
Nov30° / 23°23322.611.63.2
Dec29° / 23°20719.711.54.1

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 79%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
31981
42080
52080
61981
71981
81981
91981
101981
112080
122080
132080
142080
152080
162080
172080
182080
192179
202179
212179
222278
232377
242377
252476
262476
272476
282476
292476
302476
312476

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Polonnaruwa gets around 32 mm of rain over 5.6 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 19% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
113
213
313
414
514
615
716
816
917
1018
1119
1220
1321
1421
1522
1623
1723
1823
1923
2022
2122
2221
2321
2420
2520
2620
2720
2820
2920
3021
3121

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
121790
221790
322780
422780
523770
623770
723770
824760
924760
1024760
1124760
1225750
1325750
1425750
1525750
1625750
1725750
1825750
1925750
2025741
2126731
2226731
2326731
2427721
2527721
2628711
2728711
2829701
2929701
3030691
3131681

Wind in August

Winds average 19 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120breezy
220breezy
320breezy
420breezy
520breezy
620light breeze
720light breeze
820light breeze
920light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of August to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 6:02 AM to 6:01 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 6:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:026:23
212.36:026:22
312.36:026:22
412.36:026:22
512.36:026:22
612.36:026:21
712.36:026:21
812.36:026:21
912.36:026:20
1012.36:026:20
1112.36:026:20
1212.36:026:19
1312.36:026:19
1412.36:026:19
1512.36:026:18
1612.36:026:18
1712.36:026:18
1812.26:026:17
1912.26:026:17
2012.26:026:16
2112.26:026:16
2212.26:026:15
2312.26:026:15
2412.26:026:14
2512.26:026:14
2612.26:026:13
2712.26:026:13
2812.26:026:12
2912.26:016:12
3012.26:016:11
3112.26:016:11

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.83 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in March across the year — August's 5.93 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.9Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.9Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Bright
306.0Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Polonnaruwa

In seasonPeak

None of Polonnaruwa's seasonal hazards are active in August. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

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

Polonnaruwa's monsoon runs October–January, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is August a good time to visit Polonnaruwa?

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

2.7
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Polonnaruwa.

What to pack for Polonnaruwa in August

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

In August, Polonnaruwa sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Polonnaruwa in August

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 63 km away) is warmest in May 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
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Polonnaruwa in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks 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 Polonnaruwa peaks around April 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 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 20UV 14Dec 19UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Polonnaruwa in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Polonnaruwa is worst in May — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 1028 µg/m³Jul 2120 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb21Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr27Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep21Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec22Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Polonnaruwa?

Polonnaruwa sits at 7.9°N, 81.0°E, 0 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Sigiriya, 28 km away.

SigiriyaDambullaVakaraiMataleEravur TownTrincomaleeAnuradhapuraBatticaloa

Topography around Polonnaruwa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Polonnaruwa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m around an average of 57 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 297 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,871 m.

The land around Polonnaruwa is covered by trees (48%) and cropland (20%) within 3 km, trees (58%) and cropland (29%) within 16 km, and trees (60%) within 80 km.

3 km
38 m
16 km
297 m
80 km
1,871 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Sigiriya 28 km · Dambulla 40 km · Vakarai 52 km · Matale 67 km · Eravur Town 69 km · Trincomalee 75 km · Anuradhapura 77 km · Batticaloa 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
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 Polonnaruwa (7.9397°, 81.0027°, elevation 0 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).