Puttalam in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Puttalam sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 170 mm of rain over about 38 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the driest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels miserable.
Summer is Puttalam's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. Puttalam has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Puttalam's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 29°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 26°C
- Rainfall
- 170 mm
- 38 wet days
- Avg wind
- 25 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.9
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Puttalam in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C.
A typical summer day in Puttalam reaches about 29°C and drops to 26°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is June, the coolest August.
How summer really feels in Puttalam
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Puttalam weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) 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 | 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 Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Puttalam gets around 170 mm of rain over 38 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels miserable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 25 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min in early June to 12 h 12 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 5.7 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Puttalam
In summer, Puttalam overlaps 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 October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Puttalam?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer 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 Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, 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 38 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puttalam in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 28°C across summer — 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 Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages 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 Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer 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.