Sri Lanka rain patterns north vs south by month - complete calendar?
3 Answers from travellers
Sri Lanka has two monsoons hitting different coasts: (1) Southwest Monsoon (Yala) affects south and west - May to September (peak June-July). (2) Northeast Monsoon (Maha) affects north and east - October to February (peak November-January). Simple rule: south coast is DRY Dec-March, WET May-Sept. East coast is opposite: DRY May-Sept, WET Nov-Jan. Cultural triangle in middle is variable but usually workable year-round. Hill country influenced by both monsoons but cool climate makes it generally comfortable.
Practical calendar: Dec-March = south/west peak season (best beach, tea country). April = transitional, hot. May-Sept = east coast peak (Trincomalee, Arugam Bay). Oct-Nov = shoulder / transitional. Best all-round month: February. Worst month: October (both monsoons overlap transitionally).
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