Puttalam weather in August

In August, Puttalam sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 50 mm of rain across 11.5 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 8th-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 11% of the time in August, and the air most often feels miserable.

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 Puttalam's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puttalam's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
8th warmest
Overnight low
26°
8th coldest
Rainfall
50 mm
11.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:07 AM – 6:23 PM
Cloud cover
76%
9th clearest
Wind
24 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
5.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Puttalam is large town in North Western Province, Sri Lanka.

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 29°C through the month.

A typical August day in Puttalam reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and on par with September.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12926
22926
32926
42926
52926
62926
72926
82926
92926
102926
112926
122926
132926
142926
152926
162926
172926
182926
192926
202926
212926
222926
232926
242926
252926
262926
272926
282926
292926
302926
312926

How August really feels in Puttalam

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
heat index over the day's high
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.

Puttalam weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 8th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°416.311.65.9
Feb30° / 24°325.211.75.5
Mar31° / 26°4810.111.94.6
Apr31° / 27°11721.712.23.4
May30° / 27°1352212.43.6
Jun29° / 27°7916.712.54.3
Jul29° / 26°4110.112.45.2
Aug29° / 26°5011.512.35.1
Sep29° / 26°9316.5124.5
Oct29° / 26°22222.511.83.8
Nov29° / 25°24822.111.63.8
Dec29° / 25°1371411.55.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% 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 77%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12080
22080
32080
42080
52179
62179
72179
82278
92278
102278
112278
122278
132377
142377
152377
162377
172377
182575
192575
202575
212575
222674
232674
242674
252674
262674
272674
282674
292674
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Puttalam gets around 50 mm of rain over 11.5 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 37% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
231
331
431
531
632
732
833
934
1035
1135
1236
1336
1437
1537
1638
1738
1838
1939
2039
2139
2240
2340
2441
2541
2642
2743
2843
2944
3045
3146

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the miserable band about 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12080
22080
32179
42179
52179
62179
72179
82179
92179
102179
112179
122179
132179
142179
152179
162179
172179
182179
192278
202278
212278
222377
232377
242476
252476
262575
272575
282674
292674
302773
312773

Wind in August

Winds average 24 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 24 km/h on the calmest days to 25 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
325breezy
425breezy
525breezy
625breezy
725breezy
825breezy
924breezy
1024breezy
1124breezy
1224breezy
1324breezy
1424breezy
1524breezy
1624breezy
1724breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

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 6:06 AM to 6:06 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 6:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:066:27
212.36:066:27
312.36:066:27
412.36:066:27
512.36:066:26
612.36:076:26
712.36:076:26
812.36:076:26
912.36:076:25
1012.36:076:25
1112.36:076:25
1212.36:076:24
1312.36:076:24
1412.36:076:24
1512.36:076:23
1612.36:076:23
1712.36:076:22
1812.36:076:22
1912.26:076:22
2012.26:076:21
2112.26:076:21
2212.26:076:20
2312.26:076:20
2412.26:066:19
2512.26:066:19
2612.26:066:18
2712.26:066:18
2812.26:066:17
2912.26:066:17
3012.26:066:16
3112.26:066:16

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.83 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.56 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in March across the year — August's 5.83 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Puttalam

In seasonPeak

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

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

Puttalam's rainy season runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is August a good time to visit Puttalam?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Puttalam for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Puttalam in August

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

In August, Puttalam sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Puttalam in August

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 24 km away) is warmest in April at about 30°C and coldest in August 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
Jan28Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Puttalam in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Puttalam peaks around April 19 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 19UV 13Dec 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Very high
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Puttalam 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 Puttalam is worst in March — around 30 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 16 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 2330 µg/m³Oct 2016 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan18Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar30Moderate
Apr29Moderate
May25Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep19Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Puttalam?

Puttalam sits at 8.0°N, 79.8°E, 8 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Chilaw, 51 km away.

ChilawAnuradhapuraKurunegalaNegomboDambullaKatunayakaSigiriyaKegalle

Topography around Puttalam

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Puttalam has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 93 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 580 m.

The land around Puttalam is covered by water (45%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, trees (45%) and water (33%) within 16 km, and trees (50%) and water (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
30 m
16 km
93 m
80 km
580 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
August weather nearby: Chilaw 51 km · Anuradhapura 71 km · Kurunegala 86 km · Negombo 92 km · Dambulla 93 km · Katunayaka 97 km · Sigiriya 102 km · Kegalle 104 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 Puttalam (8.0362°, 79.8283°, elevation 8 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).