Polonnaruwa weather in January
In January, Polonnaruwa sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 110 mm of rain across 14.3 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 4th-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 14% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Polonnaruwa's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Polonnaruwa's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 29°
- 12th warmest
- Overnight low
- 22°
- 1st coldest
- Rainfall
- 110 mm
- 14.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 36 min
- 6:28 AM – 6:03 PM
- Cloud cover
- 70%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 4.35 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.8
- 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 January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.
A typical January day in Polonnaruwa 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 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 1°C cooler than February.
| 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) | 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 | 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 | 29 | 22 |
| 2 | 29 | 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 January really feels in Polonnaruwa
Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 2 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 January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Polonnaruwa weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 22° | 110 | 14.3 | 11.6 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 30° / 22° | 73 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 33° / 23° | 50 | 9.1 | 11.9 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 34° / 25° | 92 | 14.2 | 12.2 | 2.5 |
| May | 35° / 26° | 67 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 2.5 |
| Jun | 35° / 27° | 18 | 4.1 | 12.5 | 2.8 |
| Jul | 35° / 26° | 26 | 5.4 | 12.4 | 2.8 |
| Aug | 35° / 26° | 32 | 5.6 | 12.3 | 2.7 |
| Sep | 35° / 26° | 53 | 8.2 | 12 | 2.6 |
| Oct | 33° / 25° | 181 | 17.3 | 11.8 | 2.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 23° | 233 | 22.6 | 11.6 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 29° / 23° | 207 | 19.7 | 11.5 | 4.1 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.
| 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 (%) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 |
| Cloudier (%) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | 68 |
| 2 | 32 | 68 |
| 3 | 32 | 68 |
| 4 | 32 | 68 |
| 5 | 32 | 68 |
| 6 | 32 | 68 |
| 7 | 33 | 67 |
| 8 | 34 | 66 |
| 9 | 34 | 66 |
| 10 | 34 | 66 |
| 11 | 34 | 66 |
| 12 | 36 | 64 |
| 13 | 36 | 64 |
| 14 | 37 | 63 |
| 15 | 38 | 62 |
| 16 | 38 | 62 |
| 17 | 38 | 62 |
| 18 | 38 | 62 |
| 19 | 39 | 61 |
| 20 | 39 | 61 |
| 21 | 38 | 62 |
| 22 | 38 | 62 |
| 23 | 38 | 62 |
| 24 | 37 | 63 |
| 25 | 37 | 63 |
| 26 | 37 | 63 |
| 27 | 36 | 64 |
| 28 | 37 | 63 |
| 29 | 37 | 63 |
| 30 | 37 | 63 |
| 31 | 37 | 63 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Polonnaruwa gets around 110 mm of rain over 14.3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 47% and peaks near 58% 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 (%) | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 48 | 47 | 45 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 58 |
| 2 | 58 |
| 3 | 58 |
| 4 | 58 |
| 5 | 58 |
| 6 | 58 |
| 7 | 57 |
| 8 | 57 |
| 9 | 56 |
| 10 | 55 |
| 11 | 53 |
| 12 | 52 |
| 13 | 50 |
| 14 | 48 |
| 15 | 47 |
| 16 | 45 |
| 17 | 43 |
| 18 | 42 |
| 19 | 40 |
| 20 | 39 |
| 21 | 38 |
| 22 | 38 |
| 23 | 38 |
| 24 | 38 |
| 25 | 38 |
| 26 | 38 |
| 27 | 39 |
| 28 | 40 |
| 29 | 40 |
| 30 | 41 |
| 31 | 42 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 68% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% 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 (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Muggy (%) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
| Oppressive (%) | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 67 |
| Miserable (%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 22 | 73 | 5 |
| 2 | 0 | 22 | 74 | 4 |
| 3 | 0 | 22 | 74 | 4 |
| 4 | 0 | 22 | 74 | 4 |
| 5 | 0 | 21 | 75 | 4 |
| 6 | 0 | 21 | 76 | 3 |
| 7 | 0 | 22 | 75 | 3 |
| 8 | 0 | 22 | 75 | 3 |
| 9 | 0 | 23 | 75 | 2 |
| 10 | 0 | 24 | 74 | 2 |
| 11 | 0 | 25 | 73 | 2 |
| 12 | 0 | 26 | 72 | 2 |
| 13 | 0 | 28 | 70 | 2 |
| 14 | 0 | 29 | 69 | 2 |
| 15 | 1 | 30 | 67 | 2 |
| 16 | 1 | 31 | 66 | 2 |
| 17 | 1 | 33 | 64 | 2 |
| 18 | 1 | 34 | 63 | 2 |
| 19 | 1 | 35 | 62 | 2 |
| 20 | 1 | 36 | 61 | 2 |
| 21 | 1 | 36 | 61 | 2 |
| 22 | 1 | 37 | 60 | 2 |
| 23 | 1 | 36 | 61 | 2 |
| 24 | 1 | 36 | 61 | 2 |
| 25 | 1 | 35 | 62 | 2 |
| 26 | 1 | 34 | 63 | 2 |
| 27 | 1 | 33 | 64 | 2 |
| 28 | 1 | 32 | 65 | 2 |
| 29 | 1 | 31 | 66 | 2 |
| 30 | 1 | 31 | 66 | 2 |
| 31 | 1 | 30 | 67 | 2 |
Wind in January
Winds average 8 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 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) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 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 | 8 | calm |
| 2 | 8 | 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 | 8 | calm |
| 12 | 8 | calm |
| 13 | 8 | calm |
| 14 | 8 | calm |
| 15 | 8 | calm |
| 16 | 8 | calm |
| 17 | 8 | calm |
| 18 | 8 | calm |
| 19 | 8 | calm |
| 20 | 8 | calm |
| 21 | 8 | calm |
| 22 | 8 | calm |
| 23 | 8 | calm |
| 24 | 8 | calm |
| 25 | 8 | calm |
| 26 | 8 | calm |
| 27 | 8 | calm |
| 28 | 8 | calm |
| 29 | 8 | calm |
| 30 | 8 | calm |
| 31 | 8 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:23 AM to 6:30 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 6:09 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) | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 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 | 11.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.5 | 6:23 | 5:56 |
| 2 | 11.5 | 6:23 | 5:56 |
| 3 | 11.5 | 6:24 | 5:57 |
| 4 | 11.6 | 6:24 | 5:57 |
| 5 | 11.6 | 6:24 | 5:58 |
| 6 | 11.6 | 6:25 | 5:58 |
| 7 | 11.6 | 6:25 | 5:58 |
| 8 | 11.6 | 6:25 | 5:59 |
| 9 | 11.6 | 6:26 | 5:59 |
| 10 | 11.6 | 6:26 | 6:00 |
| 11 | 11.6 | 6:26 | 6:00 |
| 12 | 11.6 | 6:27 | 6:01 |
| 13 | 11.6 | 6:27 | 6:01 |
| 14 | 11.6 | 6:27 | 6:02 |
| 15 | 11.6 | 6:27 | 6:02 |
| 16 | 11.6 | 6:28 | 6:03 |
| 17 | 11.6 | 6:28 | 6:03 |
| 18 | 11.6 | 6:28 | 6:04 |
| 19 | 11.6 | 6:28 | 6:04 |
| 20 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:05 |
| 21 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:05 |
| 22 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:05 |
| 23 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:06 |
| 24 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:06 |
| 25 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:07 |
| 26 | 11.6 | 6:29 | 6:07 |
| 27 | 11.6 | 6:30 | 6:07 |
| 28 | 11.6 | 6:30 | 6:08 |
| 29 | 11.6 | 6:30 | 6:08 |
| 30 | 11.6 | 6:30 | 6:09 |
| 31 | 11.7 | 6:30 | 6:09 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.35 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 — January's 4.35 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) | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | 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 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 2 | 4.0 | Moderate |
| 3 | 4.0 | Moderate |
| 4 | 4.0 | Moderate |
| 5 | 4.0 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.0 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 8 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 9 | 4.1 | Bright |
| 10 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 11 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 12 | 4.2 | Bright |
| 13 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 14 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 15 | 4.3 | Bright |
| 16 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 31 | 4.7 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Polonnaruwa
In January, Polonnaruwa sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
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.
Is January a good time to visit Polonnaruwa?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is a reasonable time to visit Polonnaruwa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Polonnaruwa in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Polonnaruwa sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Polonnaruwa in January
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in January — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Polonnaruwa in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January 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 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Extreme |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 14 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Very high |
Air quality in Polonnaruwa in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 22 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 22 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | Moderate |
| Feb | 21 | Moderate |
| Mar | 24 | Moderate |
| Apr | 27 | Moderate |
| May | 28 | Moderate |
| Jun | 21 | Moderate |
| Jul | 20 | Moderate |
| Aug | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 21 | Moderate |
| Oct | 25 | Moderate |
| Nov | 24 | Moderate |
| Dec | 22 | Moderate |
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.
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.
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 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).