Pottuvil weather in January

In January, Pottuvil sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 144 mm of rain across 16.1 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Pottuvil's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pottuvil's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
11th warmest
Overnight low
23°
1st coldest
Rainfall
144 mm
16.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
6:23 AM – 6:01 PM
Cloud cover
69%
4th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in Pottuvil reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 1°C cooler than February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12824
22824
32824
42823
52823
62823
72823
82823
92823
102823
112823
122823
132823
142823
152823
162823
172823
182823
192823
202823
212823
222823
232823
242823
252823
262823
272823
282823
292823
302823
312823

How January really feels in Pottuvil

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

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Pottuvil weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 23°14416.111.65.1
Feb29° / 24°8012.511.85.0
Mar31° / 24°6011.1124.6
Apr32° / 25°8816.512.13.5
May33° / 26°6211.712.33.1
Jun34° / 27°368.912.42.9
Jul34° / 26°389.712.43.0
Aug33° / 26°4111.612.23.0
Sep33° / 26°5512.5123.1
Oct31° / 25°17621.311.83.2
Nov29° / 24°25824.611.73.5
Dec28° / 24°25921.611.64.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% 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 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23664
33664
43664
53664
63664
73664
83763
93763
103763
113862
123862
133961
143961
153961
163961
173961
183961
193961
203961
213862
223862
233862
243862
253862
263862
273862
283862
293862
303862
313961

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Pottuvil gets around 144 mm of rain over 16.1 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 53% and peaks near 62% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
162
262
361
461
561
661
761
860
960
1059
1158
1257
1355
1454
1552
1651
1749
1848
1947
2046
2145
2245
2345
2445
2545
2646
2747
2847
2948
3048
3149

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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 69% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1119773
2119773
3119773
4119773
5119773
6219763
7219772
8219772
9220762
10221752
11222742
12223732
13224722
14226702
15227692
16229681
17230662
18331642
19332632
20333622
21334612
22334612
23334612
24334612
25334612
26233632
27232642
28231652
29230662
30330652
31329662

Wind in January

Winds average 14 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 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 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:18 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:54 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:185:54
211.66:185:55
311.66:185:55
411.66:195:56
511.66:195:56
611.66:205:57
711.66:205:57
811.66:205:57
911.66:215:58
1011.66:215:58
1111.66:215:59
1211.66:225:59
1311.66:226:00
1411.66:226:00
1511.66:226:01
1611.66:236:01
1711.66:236:02
1811.66:236:02
1911.76:236:03
2011.76:246:03
2111.76:246:03
2211.76:246:04
2311.76:246:04
2411.76:246:05
2511.76:256:05
2611.76:256:05
2711.76:256:06
2811.76:256:06
2911.76:256:06
3011.76:256:07
3111.76:256:07

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.56 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.06 kWh/m² to a high of 6.15 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 4.56 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.8Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Pottuvil

In seasonPeak

In January, Pottuvil sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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

Pottuvil'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 January a good time to visit Pottuvil?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Pottuvil for sightseeing.

What to pack for Pottuvil in January

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

In January, Pottuvil sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Pottuvil 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 offshore is warmest in April 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
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep28Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Pottuvil in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 Pottuvil peaks around April 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeApr 16UV 14Dec 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Pottuvil in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Pottuvil is worst in May — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 1921 µg/m³Dec 2216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb16Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct21Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec16Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Pottuvil?

Pottuvil sits at 6.9°N, 81.8°E, 7 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Ampara, 49 km away.

AmparaKalmunaiKataragamaBadullaEllaBatticaloaEravur TownHambantota

Topography around Pottuvil

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Pottuvil has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 22 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 177 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,024 m.

The land around Pottuvil is covered by cropland (30%) and water (29%) within 3 km, water (45%) and trees (35%) within 16 km, and trees (46%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
22 m
16 km
177 m
80 km
2,024 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Ampara 49 km · Kalmunai 59 km · Kataragama 75 km · Badulla 86 km · Ella 86 km · Batticaloa 94 km · Eravur Town 103 km · Hambantota 115 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 Pottuvil (6.8762°, 81.8267°, elevation 7 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).