Puttalam weather in September

In September, Puttalam sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 93 mm of rain across 16.5 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 6th-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 14% of the time in September, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of September to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Puttalam's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puttalam's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
7th warmest
Overnight low
26°
7th coldest
Rainfall
93 mm
16.5 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:04 AM – 6:06 PM
Cloud cover
72%
7th clearest
Wind
23 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.73 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
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 September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical September 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, September runs on par with August and on par with October.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202530
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

How September really feels in Puttalam

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September 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 September is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Puttalam weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 7th-warmest and 6th-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 September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22773
32773
42773
52872
62872
72971
82971
93070
103169
113169
123268
133367
143367
153367
163367
173367
183367
193367
203268
213268
223268
233169
243169
253268
263169
273169
283169
293169
303169

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Puttalam gets around 93 mm of rain over 16.5 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 54% and peaks near 61% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
147
248
349
449
550
650
751
851
951
1052
1152
1252
1353
1453
1553
1654
1754
1855
1956
2056
2157
2258
2358
2459
2559
2660
2760
2860
2961
3061

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the miserable band about 77% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12872
22872
32872
42872
52872
62872
72773
82773
92674
102674
112575
122476
132377
142377
152278
162179
172080
182080
191981
201981
211981
222080
232080
242080
252179
262179
272278
282278
292278
302377

Wind in September

Winds average 23 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
124breezy
224breezy
324breezy
423breezy
523breezy
623breezy
723breezy
823breezy
923breezy
1023breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1723breezy
1823breezy
1923breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2820breezy
2920breezy
3020light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of September to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:06 AM to 6:02 AM, and sunset from 6:15 PM to 5:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:066:15
212.16:066:15
312.16:056:14
412.16:056:13
512.16:056:13
612.16:056:12
712.16:056:12
812.16:056:11
912.16:056:10
1012.16:056:10
1112.16:046:09
1212.16:046:09
1312.16:046:08
1412.16:046:08
1512.16:046:07
1612.06:046:06
1712.06:046:06
1812.06:036:05
1912.06:036:05
2012.06:036:04
2112.06:036:03
2212.06:036:03
2312.06:036:02
2412.06:036:02
2512.06:026:01
2612.06:026:00
2712.06:026:00
2812.06:025:59
2911.96:025:59
3011.96:025:58

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.73 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 — September's 5.73 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
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
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Puttalam

In seasonPeak

In September, Puttalam sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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

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

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

Is September a good time to visit Puttalam?

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

4.5
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

September is a reasonable time to visit Puttalam for sightseeing.

What to pack for Puttalam in September

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

In September, Puttalam sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker. About 17 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Puttalam in September

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in September — 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 September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September 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 September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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