Vakarai in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Vakarai sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 493 mm of rain over about 46 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Vakarai's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Vakarai 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 Vakarai's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 25°C
- Rainfall
- 493 mm
- 46 wet days
- Avg wind
- 17 km/h
- Travel score
- 5.7
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Vakarai in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical winter day in Vakarai reaches about 27°C and drops to 25°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Vakarai
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Vakarai 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 | 27° / 25° | 136 | 14.7 | 11.6 | 5.8 |
| Feb | 27° / 25° | 79 | 10 | 11.7 | 6.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 26° | 44 | 7.9 | 11.9 | 6.2 |
| Apr | 30° / 27° | 60 | 10.5 | 12.2 | 4.9 |
| May | 32° / 28° | 53 | 9 | 12.4 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 33° / 28° | 20 | 3.8 | 12.5 | 3.9 |
| Jul | 32° / 27° | 28 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 3.9 |
| Aug | 32° / 27° | 38 | 8.4 | 12.3 | 3.9 |
| Sep | 31° / 27° | 59 | 11.5 | 12 | 3.9 |
| Oct | 30° / 26° | 178 | 19.7 | 11.8 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 28° / 25° | 298 | 23.8 | 11.6 | 4.0 |
| Dec | 27° / 25° | 278 | 21.2 | 11.5 | 4.8 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Vakarai gets around 493 mm of rain over 46 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 5.1 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Vakarai
In winter, Vakarai overlaps its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Vakarai sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Vakarai's monsoon runs October–January, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Vakarai?
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 Vakarai for sightseeing.
What to pack for Vakarai in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Vakarai sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 46 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Vakarai in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°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 21 km away) is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in January 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) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index in Vakarai 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 Vakarai 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Extreme |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 14 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Very high |
Air quality in Vakarai 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 Vakarai is worst in May — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Moderate |
| Feb | 17 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 22 | Moderate |
| Jun | 20 | Moderate |
| Jul | 19 | Moderate |
| Aug | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 19 | Moderate |
| Oct | 16 | Moderate |
| Nov | 14 | Moderate |
| Dec | 14 | Moderate |
Where is Vakarai?
Vakarai sits at 8.1°N, 81.4°E, 9 m above sea level, in Sri Lanka. The nearest listed city is Eravur Town, 44 km away.
Topography around Vakarai
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Vakarai.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Vakarai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 11 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 125 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 658 m.
The land around Vakarai is covered by water (50%) and grassland (30%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and trees (38%) and water (37%) 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 Vakarai (8.1333°, 81.4333°, elevation 9 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.