Polonnaruwa is one of the most popular attractions in Sri Lanka not only for tourists from across the globe but for the locals as well. Polonnaruwa has a tropical climate with humidity levels at 80% for the most part of the year, making the temperature hot with a good chance of rainfall at least 6 months in the year. In comparison to the rest of the world, Polonnaruwa’s listed at 17% for pleasant weather.

The mid part of the year in Polonnaruwa is pretty hot with 0-3 days of rain in a month, making May-July the warmest period, with an average temperature of 35°C in the day in early parts of April, and the night temperature at 24°C. The best time to visit Polonnaruwa is July, August and then January, with less or no tourist traffic in March. The dry period in Polonnaruwa being May-September is often overcast from June-August, and with maximum rainfall between October & December.

The period of March-May is quite warm on account of the prevalent humidity and increase in temperature. With the highest temperature oscillating between 35°C and 32°C, rainfall occurs 4-10 days in a month, making spring season the slowest period for tourism.

Mid-year is rather hot and rainfall’s a bare minimum, making June through August the busiest and most ideal time to visit Polonnaruwa. So it’d be wise to make flight and hotel reservations well in advance, to avoid spending exorbitantly on the lodging & accommodation expenses later on.

The fall season in Polonnaruwa has the temperature fluctuating between 33°C and 29°C, which makes the weather quite pleasant. Rain or snowfall is significant during this period, occurring between 4-14 days in a month. Tourism is rather slow during this season on account of the weather conditions, so you can look forward to some good offers on hotels.

Polonnaruwa’s weather from December to February is nearly perfect, and a delight for travellers who love the warm climes of tropics. With the average temperature ranging between 32°C-28°C, and rainfall blasting 5-12 days in a month, winter turns out to be the second-best time of the year to visit Polonnaruwa.