Mirissa weather in December

December in Mirissa: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Mirissa🇱🇰 Sri Lanka · Sri Lanka & the Maldives · Beach78
  1. 83Jan
  2. 89Feb
  3. 85Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 66May
  6. 77Jun
  7. 81Jul
  8. 80Aug
  9. 76Sep
  10. 70Oct
  11. 64Nov
  12. 78Dec

#7 of 12 months in Mirissa · #522 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 78/100 (tier B)

Days
30°C
Nights
24°C
Wet days
21
Sun
9.7 h
Humidity
85%
Daylight
12 h
Mirissa, Sri Lanka
Photo: Mohamed Shafraz · Pexels

Traveller notes on Mirissa in December

Notes from nearby Galle (30 km away)

Mirissa doesn't have its own notes for December yet — these are about Galle, close enough to share the season.

December is the month the south-west coast changes over, and regulars put the turn late rather than early: the coast dries out a lot from mid-December, and the season proper starts just before Christmas. Some years the first half stays very wet, and they report Decembers where it rained throughout, or where the dry days still carried a sea too rough and windy to enjoy until January. Our row reads that first half: 186.2mm across 21.8 precipitation days, the wettest in this batch. Heat is steady at 30.1C reading as 36C at 84 percent humidity, with a 28.6C sea. For the most reliable south-coast beach weather they name February and March instead. The record: 9.6 hours of sun, a 10.6 kph wind and AQI 57.
TheSeasonStartsBeforeChristmas · December · 1 month ago · about Galle · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Mirissa

Mirissa-forum threads on April weather call it the last reliably good month on the south coast before the monsoon takes over - calm seas still holding for swimming and beginner surfing, though posters describe it as a genuine shoulder season where conditions can start slipping outside the reef-protected stretches of beach. Showers become more likely after the middle of the month, roughly a month ahead of when the real southwest monsoon breaks, typically arriving as a short afternoon or evening burst rather than an all-day soak. Regulars still rate plenty of sunshine across most days, humidity climbing but not yet unbearable. The standing advice is to front-load a south-coast beach stay for the first half of April if a trip's dates are flexible, since the back half carries noticeably higher odds of a wet afternoon. The record: 31.2C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 25.6C nights, a notably high 169mm across 25.6 days, 85 percent humidity, a 30.3C sea and 10.5 hours of sun.
WeligamaBayAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Mirissa-forum threads on November weather place it inside the second inter-monsoon season - genuinely the wettest stretch of the year by rainfall total, and posters call conditions unsettled rather than predictable week to week. The one consistent pattern regulars point to: rain tends to arrive later in the day, leaving mornings sunny more often than the wet-season reputation implies, and the island still logs real total sunshine across the month. Sea conditions are the bigger practical concern - not calm enough most days for swimming on the open coast, though a few sheltered stretches of beach stay swimmable. Regulars steer visitors wanting reliable beach weather toward January through mid-March instead. The record: 29.6C days feeling like a sticky 35C, 24.4C nights, a notably high 306mm across 25.1 days, 87 percent humidity, an 8.8-hour sun day and a 29.3C sea - the wettest entry on Mirissa's whole calendar.
WeligamaBaySecondMonsoon · November · 1 month ago · Read more on tripadvisor.co.nz ↗
Hikkaduwa-and-Mirissa forum threads on July weather describe the south coast as manageable through the off-season rather than ideal: decent conditions most days, but evening showers are common and the sea runs genuinely rough, making swimming and snorkeling harder than in the calmer months. Mirissa gets called out specifically for having reef-protected sections of beach that stay swimmable even when the open coast doesn't, a real edge over neighboring beaches this time of year. Posters describe a reliable pattern - good weather most mornings, showers arriving later in the day in short bursts rather than settling in for hours. The record: 29.2C days feeling like a sticky 33C, 25.6C nights, 140mm across a notably high 25.4 days, an 85 percent humidity, a 26.5C sea and 10.5 hours of sun - the wettest, roughest entry on this destination's whole calendar, exactly matching the off-season framing.
ReefProtectedMirissaJuly · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
January is the start of the good half of Mirissa's whale season: the south coast runs November to May, and regulars say sightings improve into January and February, which is the window they name for blue whales. Two practical points come with it. The boats leave early - reporting around half past six for a seven o'clock start, three and a half to four hours out - which is the reason to stay in Mirissa rather than Galle or Colombo. And the weather is not settled at the turn of the year: rain can hang on into mid-January, with the first half of the day the reliable part on this coast. Our row's 133.8mm across 16.3 days is that. The record: 30C days that feel like 36C, 23.8C nights, humidity 82 percent and a 27.6C sea.
MorningsAreTheGoodHalf · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Mirissa climate normals — December

Daytime high30°C / 86°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low24°C / 75°F
Feels like (high)36°C / 97°F
Sea temperature29°C / 83°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall180 mm / 7.1 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days21 days
Humidity85%💦 very humid
Dew point24°C / 75°F
Sunshine9.7 h/day
Daylight11.8 h
Wind13 km/h / 8 mph
Air quality (US AQI)57🙂 moderate

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

Crowds in Mirissa in December

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.

Peak crowdsSouth coast surf season, Christmas and New Year peak, Year-end break in Sri Lanka(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Mirissa'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).

Fair weatherMirissa's weather peaks January–March, best around February.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Mirissa in December

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

  • Nature

    Blue whale season

    1 Nov – 15 AprBook early

    Boats leave the harbour before dawn for the shelf edge an hour or two out, and sightings are close to routine between December and March. Pick an operator that keeps its distance; plenty do not.

  • Season

    South coast surf season

    1 Nov – 15 AprCrowded

    The clean swell is round the corner at Weligama, which is where every board hire and beginner lesson on this stretch happens. Mirissa's own bay is for swimming rather than surfing.

  • Holiday

    Christmas and New Year peak

    20 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

    The fortnight the beach bars run parties and rooms behind the sand cost triple what they do in November. The whale boats sell out the night before rather than the week before. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Mirissa?

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Mirissa in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Mirissa?
December in Mirissa: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — fine if you can take 21 rainy days. It ranks #7 of 12 months for Mirissa on SeasonMap's comfort score (78/100).
What is the weather like in Mirissa in December?
In December, Mirissa averages a daily high of 29.9°C and a low of 24.1°C, with about 180.1 mm of rain over roughly 21 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Mirissa in December?
Mirissa has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 57 in December.

Within 300 km: Nuwara Eliya's Adam's Peak pilgrimage season around 5 Dec – 10 May, and Colombo's Blue whales off Mirissa around 1 Nov – 15 Apr.