SeasonMapNuwara Eliya weather by month
Sri Lanka
The best time to visit Nuwara Eliya is January to March — 91/100 in February, 21°C and 12 rainy days. The best season is the dry season, December to March (87/100 on average).
The worst month is November at 67/100 — nice, soaked, clean air. See November →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit Sri Lanka →
Nuwara Eliya, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Nuwara Eliya is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 86 | A | 20°C | 15 d | 9 h | Peak | 4 |
| FebFebruary | 91 | S | 21°C | 12 d | 10 h | Peak | 3 |
| MarMarch | 87 | A | 22°C | 14 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| AprApril | 75 | B | 23°C | 20 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| MayMay | 68 | C | 21°C | 29 d | 9 h | Busy | 2 |
| JunJune | 85 | A | 20°C | 26 d | 10 h | Shoulder | 1 |
| JulJuly | 80 | A | 20°C | 27 d | 10 h | Shoulder | 1 |
| AugAugust | 80 | A | 20°C | 27 d | 10 h | Busy | 1 |
| SepSeptember | 78 | B | 20°C | 26 d | 10 h | Busy | 1 |
| OctOctober | 69 | C | 20°C | 27 d | 9 h | Quiet | — |
| NovNovember | 67 | C | 20°C | 26 d | 8 h | Quiet | — |
| DecDecember | 82 | A | 20°C | 19 d | 9 h | Peak | 2 |
What's on in Nuwara Eliya through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- January
- Ground frost at night5 Jan – 25 Feb (usually)Hazard
- Western quality season1 Jan – 15 MarSeason
- April
- The April Season1–30 AprFestival
- May
- Southwest monsoon on the hills15 May – 15 Sep (usually)Season
- December
- Christmas and New Year peak20 Dec – 5 JanHoliday
- Adam's Peak pilgrimage season5 Dec – 10 May (usually)Opening
Crowds in Nuwara Eliya in February
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 crowdsAdam's Peak pilgrimage season, February break in Sri Lanka, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet