Kandy (Nuwara Eliya) weather in November

November in Kandy: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 25 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Kandy🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Sri Lanka & the Maldives · City51
  1. 73Jan
  2. 78Feb
  3. 72Mar
  4. 64Apr
  5. 60May
  6. 78Jun
  7. 74Jul
  8. 75Aug
  9. 72Sep
  10. 55Oct
  11. 51Nov
  12. 67Dec

#12 of 12 months in Kandy · #1273 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 51/100 (tier D)

Days
29°C
Nights
21°C
Wet days
25
Sun
7.9 h
Humidity
89%
Daylight
12 h
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Photo: Thilina Alagiyawanna · Pexels

Traveller notes on Kandy in November

Notes from nearby Colombo (95 km away)

Kandy doesn't have its own notes for November yet — these are about Colombo, close enough to share the season.

Sri Lanka-forum threads on November weather (Colombo specifically among the destinations discussed) confirm it's the rainiest month of the year islandwide, though posters note the second half of the month usually runs better than the first. Coastal, low-lying areas like Colombo stay hot and humid enough that regulars advise against proper waterproof rain gear, an umbrella doing the job better without trapping heat against the skin. Showers, when they arrive, are heavy but limited to a few hours, and by some estimates roughly two-thirds of November days still deliver enough sunshine. Swimming on the open southwest coast is a bad bet this month, seas staying rough until at least mid-December. The record actually runs far wetter than the two-thirds-sunny framing suggests: 30.7C days feeling like a punishing 37C, 24.3C nights, a notably high 400mm across nearly 25 days, 86 percent humidity, a 29.2C sea and 8.1 hours of sun.
GalleFaceNovemberRegular · November · 1 month ago · about Colombo · Read more on tripadvisor.com.au ↗

Other months in Kandy

Forum posters describe Kandy's July weather as mixed but generally favorable - mostly sunny mornings, with afternoon rain when it comes sometimes settling in for a longer stretch, though posters elsewhere note plenty of dry, sunny periods between showers rather than all-day rain. Posters consistently cite Kandy's lower-mountain elevation as keeping it noticeably cooler than Colombo, around 25C versus the capital's more tropical heat. Posters describe July as actually a strong month for Sri Lanka's east coast specifically, with Pasikudah singled out as ideal timing, while the south and southwest coasts can see rougher seas and occasional evening showers this time of year. Posters generally rate July as pleasantly mild and mixed-weather for Kandy itself, with real regional variation elsewhere on the island worth factoring into a wider Sri Lanka itinerary.
Tripadvisor community · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
January and February are the forum's months for Sri Lanka's hill country, and Kandy's version of "perfect" is 26°C by day dropping to 19 overnight — decidedly chilly after dark by local standards, with posters wishing they had packed a thicker jumper and long trousers for late January. Kandy is not as cold as the higher hill stations, but it is not the coast either. The rain caveat is real: the record shows fifteen wet days in January, and the north-central and north-eastern parts of the island take extra rain in December and January. Kandy works year-round, which is exactly why it is the fallback when the coasts are having a bad month.
Tripadvisor community · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Kandy's card on the map.

Kandy climate normals — November

Daytime high29°C / 84°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low21°C / 69°F
Feels like (high)33°C / 91°F
Rainfall381 mm / 15 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days25 days
Humidity89%💦 very humid
Dew point22°C / 71°F
Sunshine7.9 h/day
Daylight11.8 h
Wind9 km/h / 5 mph
Air quality (US AQI)39🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Kandy in November

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Quietone of its worst months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Kandy's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherKandy's best weather comes in February, June and August — separate windows, not one continuous season.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Kandy in November

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Rule

    Poya days

    1 Jan – 31 DecClosures

    Every full moon is a civil holiday: shops shut and the sale of alcohol and meat is prohibited islandwide. There are thirteen or fourteen a year, and the temple is at its fullest on each of them. Source ↗

  • Rule

    Temple of the Tooth entry rules

    1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

    Shoulders and knees covered, shoes and hats off at the gate, and white is what locals wear. The relic chamber opens only for the three daily pujas, and the queue for the evening one starts well before it. Source ↗

  • Season

    Wet season

    MonsoonRisk

    25 rainy days and about 381 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in November →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Kandy — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Kandy?

Loading map…

Kandy in November — FAQ

Is November a good time to visit Kandy?
November in Kandy: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 25 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Kandy on SeasonMap's comfort score (51/100).
What is the weather like in Kandy in November?
In November, Kandy averages a daily high of 29.1°C and a low of 20.7°C, with about 380.7 mm of rain over roughly 24.9 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Kandy in November?
Kandy has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 39 in November.

Within 300 km: Colombo's Blue whales off Mirissa around 1 Nov – 15 Apr, and Mirissa's Blue whale season on 1 Nov – 15 Apr.