Puttalam weather in March
In March, Puttalam sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 48 mm of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Puttalam's 1st-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puttalam's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 31°
- 1st warmest
- Overnight low
- 26°
- 5th coldest
- Rainfall
- 48 mm
- 10.1 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- 6:22 AM – 6:19 PM
- Cloud cover
- 46%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- 11th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.56 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.6
- 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 March
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month.
A typical March day in Puttalam reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and on par with April.
| 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) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Avg low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 25 |
| 2 | 31 | 25 |
| 3 | 31 | 25 |
| 4 | 31 | 25 |
| 5 | 31 | 25 |
| 6 | 31 | 25 |
| 7 | 31 | 25 |
| 8 | 31 | 25 |
| 9 | 31 | 25 |
| 10 | 31 | 25 |
| 11 | 31 | 25 |
| 12 | 31 | 25 |
| 13 | 31 | 25 |
| 14 | 31 | 25 |
| 15 | 31 | 26 |
| 16 | 31 | 26 |
| 17 | 31 | 26 |
| 18 | 31 | 26 |
| 19 | 31 | 26 |
| 20 | 31 | 26 |
| 21 | 31 | 26 |
| 22 | 31 | 26 |
| 23 | 31 | 26 |
| 24 | 31 | 26 |
| 25 | 31 | 26 |
| 26 | 31 | 26 |
| 27 | 31 | 26 |
| 28 | 31 | 26 |
| 29 | 31 | 26 |
| 30 | 31 | 26 |
| 31 | 31 | 26 |
How March really feels in Puttalam
Once humidity and wind are folded in, March 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.
The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Puttalam weather by month
How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 24° | 41 | 6.3 | 11.6 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 30° / 24° | 32 | 5.2 | 11.7 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 31° / 26° | 48 | 10.1 | 11.9 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 31° / 27° | 117 | 21.7 | 12.2 | 3.4 |
| May | 30° / 27° | 135 | 22 | 12.4 | 3.6 |
| Jun | 29° / 27° | 79 | 16.7 | 12.5 | 4.3 |
| Jul | 29° / 26° | 41 | 10.1 | 12.4 | 5.2 |
| Aug | 29° / 26° | 50 | 11.5 | 12.3 | 5.1 |
| Sep | 29° / 26° | 93 | 16.5 | 12 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 29° / 26° | 222 | 22.5 | 11.8 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 29° / 25° | 248 | 22.1 | 11.6 | 3.8 |
| Dec | 29° / 25° | 137 | 14 | 11.5 | 5.0 |
Cloud cover in March
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in March, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%.
| 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 (%) | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 64 | 63 |
| Cloudier (%) | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 67 | 33 |
| 2 | 67 | 33 |
| 3 | 67 | 33 |
| 4 | 67 | 33 |
| 5 | 68 | 32 |
| 6 | 68 | 32 |
| 7 | 69 | 31 |
| 8 | 69 | 31 |
| 9 | 70 | 30 |
| 10 | 70 | 30 |
| 11 | 70 | 30 |
| 12 | 70 | 30 |
| 13 | 70 | 30 |
| 14 | 70 | 30 |
| 15 | 70 | 30 |
| 16 | 70 | 30 |
| 17 | 70 | 30 |
| 18 | 70 | 30 |
| 19 | 70 | 30 |
| 20 | 70 | 30 |
| 21 | 70 | 30 |
| 22 | 70 | 30 |
| 23 | 69 | 31 |
| 24 | 69 | 31 |
| 25 | 69 | 31 |
| 26 | 68 | 32 |
| 27 | 68 | 32 |
| 28 | 67 | 33 |
| 29 | 65 | 35 |
| 30 | 64 | 36 |
| 31 | 63 | 37 |
Chance of precipitation in March
Puttalam gets around 48 mm of rain over 10.1 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 34% and peaks near 58% on the wettest days. The odds climb 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 (%) | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 47 | 49 | 52 | 55 | 58 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 19 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 21 |
| 4 | 22 |
| 5 | 23 |
| 6 | 24 |
| 7 | 25 |
| 8 | 26 |
| 9 | 27 |
| 10 | 28 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 29 |
| 13 | 29 |
| 14 | 30 |
| 15 | 31 |
| 16 | 31 |
| 17 | 32 |
| 18 | 33 |
| 19 | 34 |
| 20 | 35 |
| 21 | 36 |
| 22 | 37 |
| 23 | 38 |
| 24 | 40 |
| 25 | 42 |
| 26 | 44 |
| 27 | 47 |
| 28 | 49 |
| 29 | 52 |
| 30 | 55 |
| 31 | 58 |
Humidity in March
Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 52% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% 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 (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oppressive (%) | 70 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 44 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 21 |
| Miserable (%) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 37 | 39 | 42 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 53 | 55 | 59 | 62 | 65 | 68 | 71 | 73 | 76 | 78 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 19 | 70 | 10 |
| 2 | 1 | 18 | 70 | 11 |
| 3 | 1 | 18 | 69 | 12 |
| 4 | 1 | 17 | 68 | 14 |
| 5 | 1 | 16 | 67 | 16 |
| 6 | 1 | 16 | 66 | 17 |
| 7 | 0 | 15 | 66 | 19 |
| 8 | 0 | 14 | 65 | 21 |
| 9 | 0 | 13 | 64 | 23 |
| 10 | 0 | 12 | 63 | 25 |
| 11 | 0 | 11 | 62 | 27 |
| 12 | 0 | 10 | 62 | 28 |
| 13 | 0 | 10 | 60 | 30 |
| 14 | 0 | 9 | 58 | 33 |
| 15 | 0 | 8 | 57 | 35 |
| 16 | 0 | 7 | 56 | 37 |
| 17 | 0 | 6 | 55 | 39 |
| 18 | 0 | 5 | 53 | 42 |
| 19 | 0 | 5 | 51 | 44 |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | 49 | 47 |
| 21 | 0 | 3 | 47 | 50 |
| 22 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 53 |
| 23 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 55 |
| 24 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 59 |
| 25 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 62 |
| 26 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 65 |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 68 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 71 |
| 29 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 73 |
| 30 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 76 |
| 31 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 78 |
Wind in March
Winds average 12 km/h in March.
Across March, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 14 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) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | light breeze |
| 2 | 14 | light breeze |
| 3 | 14 | light breeze |
| 4 | 13 | light breeze |
| 5 | 13 | light breeze |
| 6 | 13 | light breeze |
| 7 | 13 | light breeze |
| 8 | 13 | light breeze |
| 9 | 13 | light breeze |
| 10 | 12 | light breeze |
| 11 | 12 | light breeze |
| 12 | 12 | light breeze |
| 13 | 12 | light breeze |
| 14 | 12 | calm |
| 15 | 12 | calm |
| 16 | 12 | calm |
| 17 | 12 | calm |
| 18 | 12 | calm |
| 19 | 12 | calm |
| 20 | 12 | calm |
| 21 | 12 | calm |
| 22 | 12 | calm |
| 23 | 11 | calm |
| 24 | 11 | calm |
| 25 | 11 | calm |
| 26 | 11 | calm |
| 27 | 11 | calm |
| 28 | 11 | calm |
| 29 | 11 | calm |
| 30 | 11 | calm |
| 31 | 11 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in March
Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:29 AM to 6:14 AM, and sunset from 6:19 PM to 6:17 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) | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:22 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:15 | 6:14 | 6:14 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:17 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.8 | 6:29 | 6:19 |
| 2 | 11.8 | 6:29 | 6:19 |
| 3 | 11.8 | 6:28 | 6:19 |
| 4 | 11.9 | 6:28 | 6:19 |
| 5 | 11.9 | 6:27 | 6:19 |
| 6 | 11.9 | 6:27 | 6:19 |
| 7 | 11.9 | 6:26 | 6:19 |
| 8 | 11.9 | 6:26 | 6:19 |
| 9 | 11.9 | 6:25 | 6:19 |
| 10 | 11.9 | 6:25 | 6:19 |
| 11 | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:19 |
| 12 | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:19 |
| 13 | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:19 |
| 14 | 11.9 | 6:23 | 6:19 |
| 15 | 11.9 | 6:23 | 6:19 |
| 16 | 11.9 | 6:22 | 6:19 |
| 17 | 12.0 | 6:21 | 6:19 |
| 18 | 12.0 | 6:21 | 6:19 |
| 19 | 12.0 | 6:20 | 6:18 |
| 20 | 12.0 | 6:20 | 6:18 |
| 21 | 12.0 | 6:19 | 6:18 |
| 22 | 12.0 | 6:19 | 6:18 |
| 23 | 12.0 | 6:18 | 6:18 |
| 24 | 12.0 | 6:18 | 6:18 |
| 25 | 12.0 | 6:17 | 6:18 |
| 26 | 12.0 | 6:17 | 6:18 |
| 27 | 12.0 | 6:16 | 6:18 |
| 28 | 12.0 | 6:16 | 6:18 |
| 29 | 12.0 | 6:15 | 6:18 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:18 |
| 31 | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:17 |
Solar energy in March
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.56 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
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 — March's 6.56 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 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) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.4 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Puttalam
None of Puttalam's seasonal hazards are active in March. 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.
Is March a good time to visit Puttalam?
Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
March 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 March
From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In March, Puttalam sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puttalam in March
The nearest coast averages about 29°C in March — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 27 | Warm |
| Aug | 27 | Warm |
| Sep | 28 | Warm |
| Oct | 28 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Puttalam in March
Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 12 (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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Very high |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Puttalam in March
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 18 | 18 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Moderate |
| Feb | 18 | Moderate |
| Mar | 30 | Moderate |
| Apr | 29 | Moderate |
| May | 25 | Moderate |
| Jun | 18 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 17 | Moderate |
| Sep | 19 | Moderate |
| Oct | 16 | Moderate |
| Nov | 17 | Moderate |
| Dec | 17 | Moderate |
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.
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.
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 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).