Polonnaruwa weather in November

In November, Polonnaruwa sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 233 mm of rain across 22.6 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 31°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in November, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of November to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, November is Polonnaruwa's 12th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Polonnaruwa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
9th warmest
Overnight low
23°
5th coldest
Rainfall
233 mm
22.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:02 AM – 5:40 PM
Cloud cover
80%
12th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
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 November

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 31°C in the first days to 30°C by the end.

A typical November day in Polonnaruwa 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 28°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, November runs about 3°C cooler than October and about 1°C warmer than December.

20°25°30°35°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13224
23124
33124
43124
53124
63124
73124
83124
93124
103124
113124
123124
133124
143024
153023
163023
173023
183023
193023
203023
213023
223023
233023
243023
253023
263023
273023
283023
293023
303023

How November really feels in Polonnaruwa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, November averages 30 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
30
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

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

Polonnaruwa weather by month

How November compares with the rest of the year at a glance. November is the 9th-warmest and 1st-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 November

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in November, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of November, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22179
32179
42179
52080
62080
71981
81981
91981
101981
111981
121981
131981
141981
151981
161882
171882
181882
191882
201882
211882
221882
231882
242080
252080
262080
272179
282278
292278
302278

Chance of precipitation in November

Any precipitation

Polonnaruwa gets around 233 mm of rain over 22.6 wet days in November, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 75% and peaks near 76% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
174
275
375
476
576
676
775
875
975
1075
1174
1274
1374
1474
1575
1675
1775
1875
1975
2075
2175
2275
2375
2475
2575
2674
2774
2873
2972
3071

Humidity in November

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, November lands in the oppressive band about 72% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
196724
296724
386725
486725
576825
676825
766925
866925
957025
1057025
1157025
1247224
1347224
1447224
1537324
1637423
1737423
1837423
1937522
2037522
2137522
2247422
2347521
2447521
2557421
2657520
2757619
2867618
2967618
3077617

Wind in November

Winds average 7 km/h in November, the calmest month.

Across November, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm

Sunrise & sunset in November

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of November 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 November. Sunrise moves from 5:58 AM to 6:08 AM, and sunset from 5:41 PM to 5:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.75:585:41
211.75:585:41
311.75:595:41
411.75:595:41
511.75:595:40
611.75:595:40
711.75:595:40
811.76:005:40
911.76:005:40
1011.76:005:40
1111.76:015:40
1211.76:015:40
1311.66:015:40
1411.66:025:40
1511.66:025:40
1611.66:025:40
1711.66:035:40
1811.66:035:40
1911.66:035:40
2011.66:045:41
2111.66:045:41
2211.66:055:41
2311.66:055:41
2411.66:055:41
2511.66:065:41
2611.66:065:42
2711.66:075:42
2811.66:075:42
2911.66:085:42
3011.66:085:43

Solar energy in November

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in November, about 4.17 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 — November's 4.17 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.0Bright
214.0Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Moderate
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
Planning a trip in November

Hazard calendar for Polonnaruwa

In seasonPeak

In November, Polonnaruwa sits inside its cyclone and 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.

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

Is November a good time to visit Polonnaruwa?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.6
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

November is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Polonnaruwa.

What to pack for Polonnaruwa in November

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

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

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Polonnaruwa in November

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in November — 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 November

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in November peaks around 11 (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 November

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where November 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
November 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).