Puttalam in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Puttalam sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 210 mm of rain over about 26 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Puttalam's best season of the year 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
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 210 mm
- 26 wet days
- Avg wind
- 17 km/h
- Travel score
- 5.5
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Puttalam in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C.
A typical winter day in Puttalam reaches about 29°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Puttalam
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 46 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.
Puttalam 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 | 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 Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Puttalam gets around 210 mm of rain over 26 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 17 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min in early December to 11 h 48 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 5.3 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Puttalam
In winter, Puttalam overlaps its cyclone and rainy season 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.
Is winter a good time to visit Puttalam?
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 Puttalam for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Puttalam in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Puttalam sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 26 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puttalam 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 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 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 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 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 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.