Sigiriya weather in September

In September, Sigiriya sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 43 mm of rain across 8.5 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in September, and the air most often feels oppressive.

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 Sigiriya's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sigiriya's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
25°
8th coldest
Rainfall
43 mm
8.5 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:00 AM – 6:03 PM
Cloud cover
73%
6th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Sigiriya is ancient rock fortress near Dambulla, 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 33°C through the month.

A typical September day in Sigiriya reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs on par with August and about 1°C warmer than October.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13325
23325
33325
43325
53325
63325
73325
83325
93325
103325
113325
123325
133325
143325
153325
163325
173325
183325
193325
203325
213325
223325
233325
243325
253325
263325
273325
283325
293325
303325

How September really feels in Sigiriya

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.

Sigiriya weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 21°9814.211.65.0
Feb30° / 22°7110.611.74.8
Mar33° / 23°478.411.93.9
Apr34° / 24°9414.312.22.8
May33° / 25°608.112.43.3
Jun33° / 25°194.612.53.7
Jul33° / 25°214.512.43.7
Aug33° / 25°275.112.33.6
Sep33° / 25°438.5123.4
Oct32° / 24°16617.711.83.2
Nov30° / 23°22222.511.63.4
Dec29° / 22°18620.411.54.2

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 70%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22575
32575
42575
52773
62773
72872
82872
92872
102872
112971
123070
133070
143169
153268
163268
173367
183367
193367
203367
213367
223367
233268
243268
253268
263268
273268
283367
293367
303367

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Sigiriya gets around 43 mm of rain over 8.5 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 28% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
120
221
322
422
523
623
723
824
924
1024
1124
1224
1325
1425
1525
1626
1727
1827
1928
2029
2131
2232
2333
2435
2536
2637
2739
2840
2940
3041

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the oppressive band about 83% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
116840
217830
317830
418820
518820
618820
719810
819810
919810
1019810
1119810
1218820
1318820
1418820
1517830
1617830
1716840
1815850
1915850
2014860
2114860
2214860
2314860
2413861
2513861
2613861
2713861
2814851
2914851
3014851

Wind in September

Winds average 18 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light 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 6:02 AM to 5:58 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 5:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:026:11
212.16:026:11
312.16:026:10
412.16:026:10
512.16:026:09
612.16:016:09
712.16:016:08
812.16:016:07
912.16:016:07
1012.16:016:06
1112.16:016:06
1212.16:016:05
1312.16:006:04
1412.16:006:04
1512.16:006:03
1612.06:006:03
1712.06:006:02
1812.06:006:01
1912.06:006:01
2012.05:596:00
2112.05:596:00
2212.05:595:59
2312.05:595:58
2412.05:595:58
2512.05:595:57
2612.05:595:57
2712.05:595:56
2812.05:585:56
2911.95:585:55
3011.95:585:54

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.7 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.76 kWh/m² to a high of 6.21 kWh/m² in March across the year — September's 5.7 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.5Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Sigiriya

In seasonPeak

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

Sigiriya's monsoon runs October–December, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is September a good time to visit Sigiriya?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

September is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sigiriya. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sigiriya in September

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

In September, Sigiriya sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Sigiriya 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 Sigiriya peaks around April 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 20UV 14Dec 20UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Sigiriya 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 Sigiriya is worst in May — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 1028 µg/m³Jul 2120 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb21Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr27Moderate
May28Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep21Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec22Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sigiriya?

Sigiriya sits at 7.9°N, 80.8°E, 0 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Dambulla, 15 km away.

PolonnaruwaAnuradhapuraMataleKurunegalaKandyVakaraiTrincomalee

Topography around Sigiriya

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sigiriya has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 141 m around an average of 201 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 577 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,870 m.

The land around Sigiriya is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (76%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) within 80 km.

3 km
141 m
16 km
577 m
80 km
1,870 m
treesgrasslandcroplandwater
September weather nearby: Dambulla 15 km · Polonnaruwa 28 km · Anuradhapura 55 km · Matale 55 km · Kurunegala 67 km · Kandy 74 km · Vakarai 78 km · Trincomalee 87 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 Sigiriya (7.9495°, 80.7504°, elevation 0 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. 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).