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.

- Average temp
- 27°C (81°F)
23–31°C · 74–88°F
- Rainfall
- 83 mm
Showers likely
- Sunshine
- 7.4 h
hours per day
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.

Travel guides for Colombo
What to read before you book.
Colombo weather by month
TemperatureRainfall
How January compares with the rest of the year
January is highlighted. Every other month links to its own page.
| Month | Average | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| January | 27°C / 81°F | 83 mm |
| February | 28°C / 82°F | 76 mm |
| March | 28°C / 83°F | 103 mm |
| April | 29°C / 83°F | 251 mm |
| May | 29°C / 84°F | 314 mm |
| June | 28°C / 83°F | 202 mm |
| July | 28°C / 82°F | 128 mm |
| August | 28°C / 82°F | 122 mm |
| September | 28°C / 82°F | 270 mm |
| October | 28°C / 82°F | 349 mm |
| November | 27°C / 81°F | 343 mm |
| December | 27°C / 81°F | 176 mm |
Check another month
This is the month you are reading. Change either side to look at another.
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.
