Best time to visit Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Our verdict

The best time to visit Polonnaruwa is January

If you’re looking to travel to Polonnaruwa for your next trip but aren’t sure when to go and when to avoid, this article is all you’ll need. The best time to visit Polonnaruwa is January due to the excellent all-round weather conditions, and it’s also not during the height of peak travel periods, so it’s not likely to be as busy.

During the warmer months, temperatures in Polonnaruwa can rise to a maximum of 36℃ (97℉). In the colder months such as January, temperatures usually get down to an average minimum of 20℃ (68℉).

The days are longest in Polonnaruwa in July, so if you want to see the sights during the day when the sun is up for the longest time, it’s best to visit around that time of year. The wet season in Polonnaruwa falls around October, so if you prefer the dryer weather, you should look to visit in June instead.

Learn everything you need to know to help you decide when to go to Polonnaruwa below, and don’t forget to use the awesome travel tools we know and love to help you find the best deals and make booking your vacation a breeze!

Warmest month

May

Least rainfall

June

Most daylight

July

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Polonnaruwa seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Polonnaruwa as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Polonnaruwa is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Polonnaruwa

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Polonnaruwa for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Polonnaruwa climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Polonnaruwa for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Polonnaruwa in January

  • Average temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 42mm (2") over 16 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
16 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in January, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Polonnaruwa in February

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (88℉)
  • Average low temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average humidity: 79%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 47mm (2") over 13 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in February, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays pretty warm most of the time.


Polonnaruwa in March

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 38mm (2") over 14 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in March, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays pretty warm most of the time.


Polonnaruwa in April

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 35℃ (95℉)
  • Average low temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 103mm (4") over 24 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
24 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in April, make sure you pack t-shirts, shorts and sun protection.


Polonnaruwa in May

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (94℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 10 days
  • Average rainfall: 83mm (3") over 17 days
10 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in May, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Polonnaruwa in June

  • Average temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 13mm (1") over 8 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in June, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Polonnaruwa in July

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 25℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 66%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 16mm (1") over 10 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in July, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Polonnaruwa in August

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 30mm (1") over 11 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
11 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in August, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Polonnaruwa in September

  • Average temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average high temperature: 34℃ (93℉)
  • Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 53mm (2") over 13 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in September, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.

Polonnaruwa in October

  • Average temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average high temperature: 33℃ (91℉)
  • Average low temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 214mm (8") over 23 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
23 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays warm all day and night.


Polonnaruwa in November

  • Average temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (87℉)
  • Average low temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 166mm (7") over 24 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
24 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in November, make sure you pack t-shirts and shorts.. It stays pretty warm most of the time.


Polonnaruwa in December

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
  • Average low temperature: 21℃ (71℉)
  • Average humidity: 84%
  • Average sunny days: 6 days
  • Average rainfall: 127mm (5") over 23 days
6 days
of pure sunshine
23 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Polonnaruwa in December, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Polonnaruwa is usually May, where temperatures tend to rise to around 35℃ (95℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Polonnaruwa is generally around June. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in June first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Polonnaruwa is generally around October, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of October too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Polonnaruwa, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Polonnaruwa map