Pottuvil in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Pottuvil sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 483 mm of rain over about 50 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Pottuvil's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Pottuvil's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 483 mm
- 50 wet days
- Avg wind
- 12 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.8
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Pottuvil in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Pottuvil reaches about 28°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Pottuvil
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 11 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Pottuvil weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 23° | 144 | 16.1 | 11.6 | 5.1 |
| Feb | 29° / 24° | 80 | 12.5 | 11.8 | 5.0 |
| Mar | 31° / 24° | 60 | 11.1 | 12 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 32° / 25° | 88 | 16.5 | 12.1 | 3.5 |
| May | 33° / 26° | 62 | 11.7 | 12.3 | 3.1 |
| Jun | 34° / 27° | 36 | 8.9 | 12.4 | 2.9 |
| Jul | 34° / 26° | 38 | 9.7 | 12.4 | 3.0 |
| Aug | 33° / 26° | 41 | 11.6 | 12.2 | 3.0 |
| Sep | 33° / 26° | 55 | 12.5 | 12 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 31° / 25° | 176 | 21.3 | 11.8 | 3.2 |
| Nov | 29° / 24° | 258 | 24.6 | 11.7 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 28° / 24° | 259 | 21.6 | 11.6 | 4.4 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Pottuvil gets around 483 mm of rain over 50 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 12 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min in early December to 11 h 54 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.7 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Pottuvil
In winter, Pottuvil overlaps its cyclone and 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.
Is winter a good time to visit Pottuvil?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a reasonable time to visit Pottuvil for sightseeing.
What to pack for Pottuvil in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Pottuvil sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 50 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Pottuvil in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 28°C across winter — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 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 | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 28 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Pottuvil in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages 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 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Extreme |
Air quality in Pottuvil in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 16 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Moderate |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 17 | Moderate |
| Apr | 18 | Moderate |
| May | 22 | Moderate |
| Jun | 20 | Moderate |
| Jul | 20 | Moderate |
| Aug | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 18 | Moderate |
| Oct | 21 | Moderate |
| Nov | 18 | Moderate |
| Dec | 16 | Moderate |
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.
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.
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 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.