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Colombo weather in January

Colombo in January averages 27°C (81°F), 83 mm of rain and 7.4 hours of sun a day.

Of the twelve months in Colombo, January is the second coldest, the second driest and the fourth sunniest.

Colombo
Average temp
27°C (81°F)

23–31°C · 74–88°F

Rainfall
83 mm

Showers likely

Sunshine
7.4 h

hours per day

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What is Colombo like in January?

Daytime

Days are warm, typically in the mid-20s°C or above.

Rain

Some rain is likely; pack for showers.

Evening

Evenings stay warm.

What should I pack for Colombo in January?

  • High-factor sun cream

    With daytime highs around 31°C, burn time is short even in shade.

  • Sunglasses and a brimmed hat

    Midday glare is the part people underpack for, not the heat itself.

  • Loose cotton or linen

    Synthetics stop working once you are sweating through them all day.

  • A refillable water bottle

    Daily highs this warm need roughly double the water a temperate day does.

  • A light rain jacket

    About 83 mm falls this month — showers rather than washouts.

January compared with December and February

January in Colombo is about the same temperature as December and 93 mm drier than it, which averages 27°C (81°F).

January in Colombo is 0.5°C cooler than February and about as wet as it, which averages 28°C (82°F).

Daylight in Colombo in January

On 15 January the sun is up for 11 hours 46 minutes in Colombo, rising about 06:26 and setting about 18:12 local time.

That is 45 minutes short of June, the longest-lit month here.

Where to stay in Colombo

Dates are a starting point for January.

All hotels in Colombo

Travel guides for Colombo

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in Colombo

Colombo weather by month

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 2 Sept 2026358 places covered

How January compares with the rest of the year

January is highlighted. Every other month links to its own page.

Colombo weather by month: average temperature, rainfall, sunshine for each month, from 1991–2020 climate normals
MonthAverageRainfall
January27°C / 81°F83 mm
February28°C / 82°F76 mm
March28°C / 83°F103 mm
April29°C / 83°F251 mm
May29°C / 84°F314 mm
June28°C / 83°F202 mm
July28°C / 82°F128 mm
August28°C / 82°F122 mm
September28°C / 82°F270 mm
October28°C / 82°F349 mm
November27°C / 81°F343 mm
December27°C / 81°F176 mm

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FAQs about Colombo in January

January climate averages for Colombo, 1991–2020.

Colombo averages 27°C (81°F) in January, ranging from about 23°C (74°F) at night to 31°C (88°F) in the afternoon. That is a 1991–2020 average, so an individual week can run either side of it.

Some. About 83 mm falls across January, enough to need a light jacket but not enough to reshape a trip.

No. January averages 27°C (81°F) against 28°C (82°F) in February — 0.5°C cooler.

January is about as warm as December, and 93 mm drier.

Yes. January falls inside the most comfortable stretch of the year here, December to March, on temperature and rainfall together.

About 7.4 hours of sun a day on the 1991–2020 average.

This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what January is usually like, which is what you want when booking months ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.

About 11 hours 46 minutes of daylight in mid-January, against 12 hours 31 minutes in June and 11 hours 44 minutes in December.

On 15 January, sunrise is about 06:26 and sunset about 18:12 local time. Both shift across the month.