Yala National Park Weather And Best Time To Visit Yala National Park

One of the largest national parks in Sri Lanka, Yala National Park houses 44 species of animals like wild buffalo, jackals, elephants, leopards, peacocks, sloth bear and spotted deer. If you’re traveling to Sri Lanka, you can’t miss a trip to the Yala National Park for its wildlife sights and great weather. Besides the wildlife, you’ll also witness the Park’s diverse ecosystem that includes the grasslands, marshes, wetlands, sandy beaches and semi-green forests with some interesting rock formations.

Renowned for the highest population of leopards, rare & several species of birds and its abundant wildlife Yala is best explored 2-3 days/nights in a row. The best time to visit Yala National Park to enjoy spotting the leopards, elephants, and wild boars is May through August, while you’ll get to see crocodiles, birds and deer more during October through December. September is when the park shuts down for general upkeep.

The temperature and humidity levels ranging between 32.6°C and 31.3°C make the weather at Yala quite warm, with intermittent rainfall that varies between 3-6 days in a month, making spring the slowest time for incoming traffic, from the tourism perspective.

One of the best time of spotting the leopards at Yala is in the dry months, June through September when rainfall’s down to a bare minimum.

The average temperatures in Yala National Park rarely vary, and in terms of humidity levels, the temperature feels warm for the most part of the year, with May, April and July being the warmest. Mid-May turns out to be the hottest time of the year with the temperature being the highest at 32.6°C, dropping rarely below 26.1°C at night.

With the daily temperature ranging between 31.3°C & 30.7°C, the fall season in Yala has about 7-10 days of rain or snowfall and tourism is at its peak for the second time in the year during the months of September through November.

For the winter enthusiasts, December to February at Yala will be most enjoyable! With the average temperature varying between 32.5°C and 30°C and an average rainfall of 3-9 days in a month.

With the Yala National Park situated in the southeast region of the country, its weather is driven by both cycles of Monsoons, more so by the north-eastern monsoon. With heavy rainfalls in October-November and then January-February, it is the wettest time in Yala.

Tourism for Yala National Park is most opportune during the months of August, October and December, with deals on flights and hotels at their peak, unless booked well in advance. June is quite dull here.