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Sri Lanka’s weather is tropical: hot and humid. Having said that, we must hasten to add same couldn’t be said of the whole expanse of the Indian Ocean Island. Climatically Sri Lanka is divided into two zones: the dry zone that spreads over the Northern plains, North central plains, eastern plains and northern and eastern coastal belt. The Wet Zone that encompasses south western region and the single mountain mass of the island that is aptly called the Central Highlands.

Sri Lanka’s weather
patterns are generally well-defined. However weather in the global scale moving in with widespread climatic changes, in Sri Lanka too it could rain unexpectedly: when it ought to be sunny and it could be raining and when it ought to be raining, it could be sun shine.

Temperature in Sri Lanka
The location of the Island of Sri Lanka being just above the equator, the average temperature is quite high. Average temperature in Sri Lanka fluctuates between 27° and 29° Celsius. As everywhere, sea-winds exert a moderating influence. The areas of the Central Highlands are of varying levels of temperature in accordance with the altitude:Kandy (altitude 500m), the average temperature is 20°C, while Nuwara Eliya (at 1889m) has a temperate 16°C average. Warm clothes are essential in the Central Highlands.

Humidity in Sri Lanka
Between December and March, monsoon winds come from the northeast, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. Humidity is typically higher in the southwest and the Central Highlands and depends on the seasonal patterns of rainfall. In the coastal areas such Colombo experience daytime humidity above 70% all year round, rising to almost 90% during the monsoon season in June. Anuradhapura experiences a daytime low of 60% during the monsoon month of March, but a high of 79% during the November and December rains. In the highlands, Kandy’s daytime humidity usually ranges between 70% and 79%.

Rainfall in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka lies 400 miles north of the equator and is affected by two monsoon seasons caused by the winds originating from the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon weather patterns in Sri Lanka ensure that some beaches of the coastal belts are always in season for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. From May to August the south-west monsoon originates from the Indian Ocean brings rain to the island’s southwestern half wet zone, receive ample rainfall (an annual average of 250 centimeters. From October to January the north-east monsoon blows, bringing rain to the North and East. Most of the southeast, east, and northern parts of the country comprise the dry zone, which receives between 120 and 190 centimeters of rain annually

When to go in Sri Lanka

November to March/ Weather in Sri Lanka
The principal tourist season in Sri Lanka is during November to March when it is the dry season for south western and Southern beaches and the Central Highlands. November through March are also the months when most foreign tourists visit, the majority of them escaping the European winter. During the Christmas to New Year holiday season, in particular, accommodation rates at tourist hotels hit the highest levels all over the island in view of the sharp upsurge of inward traffic of tourists into the island. Advance booking of hotel rooms during this period is highly recommended.

April to September / Weather in Sri Lanka
The secondary tourist season that span from April to September suits well to tour in the ancient cities of the north Central Plains and the eastern coast.

July to August / Weather in Sri Lanka
July/August is the time of the Kandy Esala Perahera, the 10-day festival held in homage to the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha, and also the time for the Kataragama festival in the South. In both towns, accommodation just before, during and immediately after the festivals is very difficult to come by. Rates could shoot up to double or still higher. The tourists wishing to arrive in Sri Lanka during this period are advised to make bookings of hotel rooms well in advance. Such is Sri Lanka’s climate; tourists will find the right beach anytime of the year somewhere in the island: when it is offseason in western and Southern coast, the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka rise up to the occasion.

Online visa must be applied by tourists before entering Sri Lanka. An English form is to be filled out online in order to obtain the "Electronic Travel Authorization" (ETA) on the website www.eta.gov.lk. The Tourist ETA visa is valid for 1 month.

Visa charges are 15.- US$ for Indians and citizens of other SAARC countries, and 30.- US$ for others. Only citizens of the Maldives and Singapore and holders of a Diplomatic or Official Passport can enter Sri Lanka free of charge. The most convenient payment system is by credit card.

The passport has to be valid for another 6 months from the date of arrival. A ticket for departure from Sri Lanka must already be issued before arrival. Sufficient funds for expenses during the stay in Sri Lanka must be available.

For more detailed information, visit www.immigration.gov.lk.

No vaccination or immunization or inoculation certificates are compulsory, except for yellow fever in case a person has visited one of the following African or Latin American countries during the last nine days before entering Sri Lanka: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Ruanda, Peru, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda.

Custom Import

Visitors to Sri Lanka bringing in more than 10,000.- US$ must declare the amount to the Customs on arrival. When entering Sri Lanka certain amounts of products containing alcohol are duty free

1.5 litres of spirits, two bottles of wine, 250 ml of toilet water, a small quantity of perfume or other souvenirs with a value not exceeding 250,- US$. There is no duty-free allowance for tobacco products. Any cigarettes must be declared, cartons of cigarettes will definitely carry duty, only very few packets for personal may be free of charge.

The import of pornography of any form is an offence. The import of prohibited drugs carries the death penalty. For further information visit www.customs.gov.lk.

Custom Export

Sri Lankan banknotes should not leave the country. Unspent Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) can be re-converted to the original currency on departure in case encashment receipts can be produced. For gems, retain your shopping receipts. When leaving the country export of 10 kg of Ceylon Tea is permitted duty free.

Without special permission from the Director of the National Archives or the Director General of the Department of Archaeology it is illegal to export antiques, defined as anything more than 50 years old palm-leaf manuscripts and other rare books and anthropological material, Without special license from the Director of the Depatment of Wildlife Conversation or from the Director of the Forest Department it is prohibited to export any parts of wild animals (e.g. horns, skins or feathers) 450 endemic or threatened plant species, corals, shells or other protected marine products.