Ella's Rains & Landslide Season

Where the rainy season stands and what it means here — the heaviest rain and landslide risk come late in the year, not with the national monsoon.

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Town Tools builds free, public tools for Ella and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

Where the year stands

It is the northeast monsoon (heaviest rain) — ella's wettest and highest-risk season, peaking around November; landslides and road closures are most likely now, and cyclone risk in this window is greatest.

Season	When
Northeast monsoon (heaviest rain)	1 October – 31 January	now
First inter-monsoon	1 February – 30 April
Southwest monsoon (partly shadowed)	1 May – 30 June
Uva dry spellUva season	1 July – 31 August
Second inter-monsoon	1 September – 30 September

These boundaries are typical, not fixed — the monsoon onset, the Uva dry spell and the heaviest rains all drift from year to year, and the live data above is the better guide for any single week.

Day

Rain

Chance of rain

Mon 12 Oct (today)

10 mm

100%

Tue 13 Oct

71 mm

100%

Wed 14 Oct

10 mm

100%

Thu 15 Oct

7 mm

99%

Fri 16 Oct

12 mm

100%

Sat 17 Oct

7 mm

100%

Sun 18 Oct

10 mm

100%

Worth knowing

October to November is the season to watch

The northeast monsoon brings Ella's heaviest rain, with November usually the wettest month of the year out of roughly 1,800 mm of annual rainfall. This is when landslide risk peaks. The A23 Ella–Wellawaya road has a documented landslip zone at Malittagolla, Karandagolla and was closed by an earthslip in May 2024; officials warn it can close again during heavy rain. Cyclone Ditwah struck in late November 2025.

The Nine Arches Bridge walk after rain

The access path down to the best Nine Arches Bridge viewpoint runs across a hillside that turns muddy and slippery in wet weather, and leeches are common on the trail after rain. Wet-season visitors regularly mention both. Footwear with grip and leech socks help; the bridge itself stays open to walk to at any time.

Why July and August feel dry

During the national southwest monsoon, when the rest of the island is wet, the Uva valley behind the hills often experiences a dry, desiccating wind — the Uva dry spell. Visitors who arrive in July or August expecting rain are frequently surprised to find some of the year's most settled weather, which is part of why this is a second tourism peak.

Ella's Rains & Landslide Season

About these tools

Where the year stands

The last 30 days

The week ahead

Worth knowing

October to November is the season to watch

The Nine Arches Bridge walk after rain

Why July and August feel dry