Weather is Sri Lanka is never a question. With near perfect weather throughout the year, its fare to say Sri Lanka is truly accessible 365 days of the year. If you are coming to Sri Lanka and have a set date to visit then don’t fret too much as you won’t be too disappointed with the weather regardless of the time of year you chose to travel. If you are travelling to Sri Lanka for a specific interest or is flexible with the time of year you wish you travel then here are a few pointers to consider.

The island has an unusual blend of climatic features. It is possible to travel from tropical heat to cool, misty weather then to the dry zone, all in one day. There are two main monsoon seasons, one in the northeast and the other in the southwest. When the northeast monsoon blows, the southwestern side experiences peak sunny weather and vice versa. So the weather is always perfect somewhere in the island!

Southwest Monsoon, or Yala (commonly referred to by the locals, brings rain from the Indian Ocean from May to September commencing with a month of heavy rain, followed by short showers. At this time the coastal tides are dangerous and swimming is inadvisable – even the fisherman avoid it. Maha, the northwestern monsoon, blows in from the Bay of Bengal.

An inter-monsoon period in October and November can bring thunderstorms to

any part of the country. However, most days are sunny and humid, so short bursts of heavy rain are a pleasure, brining welcome coolness and freshness. These intense, short-lived showers fill up myriad small lakes and perfume the air with the smell of damp spoil and bruised frangipani blossoms.

Having grown up in this island that rustic wet-dust smell all brings about nostalgic childhood happiness when we used to run and play welcoming the much need rain after spells of hot days.

The low-lying southern coastal regions experience the warmest temperatures. Colombo averages 27 degrees Celsius (about 81 degrees F). The sea remains at 27 degrees C all year round making the Sri Lankan beaches accessible for holiday makers through the year. Despite the monsoons and heavy rains Sri Lanka maintains in hot weather and clears out the sun almost every day.

In the central highlands, temperatures become noticeably cooler and the nights can be decidedly chilly. I always recommend my travelers to carry a light cardigan if there are travelling to this region. At 305 meters (1,000ft) above sea level Kandy weather averages at 20 degrees (68 degree F) and Nuwara Eliya weather, at 1,890 meters (3,200ft) 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees F).

A trick when battling the Sri Lankan weather is to carry an umbrella during your tour. An umbrella in Sri Lanka is never out of place as it may help to keep the rain off or protect you from the blazing sun.