Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Ratnapura, Sri Lanka UNESCO World Heritage Site
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a nature reserve and protected forest located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. This 89 km2 area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the 13th most looked-up sight in the country on English Wikipedia.
Planning a visit
February and March are the driest months, with about 16 and 21 rainy days and rainfall between 102 mm and 125 mm. Rainfall is generally higher during the rest of the year, with May and November seeing about 317 mm and 316 mm of rain and about 28 to 29 rainy days. In months like April, June, July, August, September, October, and December, rainfall levels range from about 173 mm to 307 mm. Daily high temperatures range from 28 °C to 30 °C, while daily low temperatures range from 22 °C to 25 °C.
The reserve is 84 km from Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. For air travel, Koggala Airport is 28 km away and Colombo Ratmalana International Airport is 78 km away. Travelers can also combine a visit to the forest with a trip to Galle Fort, which is 24.6 km away. More information is available on the reserve's website at http://www.nps.gov/meve/.
Weather by month
Temperatures stay much the same all year, around 26 °C on average. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 |
| Average low, °C | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 |
| Rainfall, mm | 132 | 102 | 125 | 243 | 317 | 241 | 173 | 183 | 253 | 307 | 316 | 180 |
| Rainy days | 16 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 25 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for this spot (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
