Puttalam

This article is about the town in Sri Lanka. For other uses, see Puttalam (disambiguation).
Puttalam
පුත්තලම
புத்தளம்
Town
Puttalam පුත්තලම புத்தளம் is located in Sri Lanka
Puttalam පුත්තලම புத்தளம்
Puttalam
පුත්තලම
புத்தளம்
Coordinates: 08°02′03″N 79°50′07″E / 8.03417°N 79.83528°E / 8.03417; 79.83528
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceNorth Western
DistrictPuttalam District
Divisional SecretariatPuttalam Division
Government
 • TypePuttalam Urban Council
 • ChairmanVacant since May 2021[1]
Area
 • Town
25.6 km2 (9.9 sq mi)
 • Land119.0 km2 (45.9 sq mi)
 • Water327 km2 (126 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)[2]
 • Town
45,511 (Urban Council)
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
 • Urban density1,778/km2 (4,600/sq mi)
 • Metro
82,443 (Puttalam Division)
 • Metro density471.1/km2 (1,220/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone)

Puttalam (Sinhala: පුත්තලම, romanized: Puttalama; Tamil: புத்தளம், romanized: Puttaḷam) is the largest town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is the administrative capital of the Puttalam District and governed by an urban council.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Pattalam has a tropical savanna climate (As) with a short dry season from June to September and a second dry season from January to March. The wet season is mainly from October to December. Temperatures remain steady throughout the year with little variations in between.

Climate data for Puttalam (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 34.4
(93.9) 		36.4
(97.5) 		38.5
(101.3) 		38.5
(101.3) 		36.2
(97.2) 		35.4
(95.7) 		34.9
(94.8) 		35.5
(95.9) 		35.7
(96.3) 		35.5
(95.9) 		34.5
(94.1) 		33.1
(91.6) 		38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.7
(87.3) 		32.3
(90.1) 		33.5
(92.3) 		33.2
(91.8) 		32.5
(90.5) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.8
(89.2) 		31.3
(88.3) 		30.7
(87.3) 		30.0
(86.0) 		31.8
(89.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.2
(79.2) 		27.0
(80.6) 		28.6
(83.5) 		28.9
(84.0) 		29.5
(85.1) 		29.2
(84.6) 		28.9
(84.0) 		28.9
(84.0) 		28.9
(84.0) 		28.1
(82.6) 		27.1
(80.8) 		26.4
(79.5) 		28.1
(82.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.4
(70.5) 		21.7
(71.1) 		23.4
(74.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		26.5
(79.7) 		26.7
(80.1) 		26.3
(79.3) 		26.2
(79.2) 		25.9
(78.6) 		24.7
(76.5) 		23.5
(74.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		24.5
(76.1)
Record low °C (°F) 15.6
(60.1) 		16.2
(61.2) 		17.0
(62.6) 		20.5
(68.9) 		19.7
(67.5) 		22.7
(72.9) 		22.0
(71.6) 		22.5
(72.5) 		21.4
(70.5) 		21.3
(70.3) 		17.4
(63.3) 		15.7
(60.3) 		15.6
(60.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.5
(1.99) 		42.1
(1.66) 		56.9
(2.24) 		154.4
(6.08) 		101.8
(4.01) 		32.1
(1.26) 		23.5
(0.93) 		23.3
(0.92) 		69.2
(2.72) 		230.6
(9.08) 		254.6
(10.02) 		143.7
(5.66) 		1,182.6
(46.56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 5.6 4.2 4.5 9.5 6.5 4.2 2.1 3.4 5.8 12.8 15.3 10.8 84.7
Source: NOAA[3]

Points of interest

Energy

Seguwantivu Wind Power (Private) Limited, an Indian firm, invests US$37 million and maintains 25 wind turbines which produce 20 MWs of electricity in Puttalam Seguwantivu region.[5]

Education

National schools

  • St. Mary's National College
  • St. Andrew's Central College
  • Ananda National School
  • Zahira College,Puttalam
  • Kalpitiya Nirmala Matha National College.
  • President's Science College
  • Fathima Muslim Ladies College[6]
  • Science High School Puttalam

[7]

Provincial schools

International schools

  • Phoenix International School
  • Puttalam Primary school and child care centre
  • KEC
  • St. Joseph Vaz College
  • Ikra International School
  • School of Excellence
  • Mercy Education Center

[8]

Puttalam also has an open university.

Religion

Puttalam is a multi-cultural and multi-religious town. Islam is the major religion in Puttalam town while Buddhists and Christians are significant minorities; there is also a small Hindu population.[9]

Religion in Puttalam town (2012)
Population Percent
Islam
 
 86.02%
Buddhist
 
 12.27%
Christian
 
 7.60%
Hindu
 
 1.27%
Others
 
 0.01%

Religious places

  • Mohideen Jumma Mosque
  • බෞද්ධ මධ්‍යස්ථානය
  • முத்து மாரியம்மன் கோவில்
  • Mother of Refuge Catholic Church
Climate data for Puttalam (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35.0
(95.0) 		37.9
(100.2) 		38.5
(101.3) 		38.5
(101.3) 		36.2
(97.2) 		36.1
(97.0) 		36.7
(98.1) 		35.5
(95.9) 		35.7
(96.3) 		35.5
(95.9) 		36.1
(97.0) 		34.6
(94.3) 		38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30.5
(86.9) 		32.1
(89.8) 		33.2
(91.8) 		33.1
(91.6) 		32.3
(90.1) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.4
(88.5) 		31.5
(88.7) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.1
(88.0) 		30.5
(86.9) 		29.9
(85.8) 		31.6
(88.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.8
(78.4) 		26.8
(80.2) 		28.1
(82.6) 		28.8
(83.8) 		29.0
(84.2) 		28.8
(83.8) 		28.5
(83.3) 		28.5
(83.3) 		28.5
(83.3) 		27.6
(81.7) 		26.7
(80.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.8
(82.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8) 		21.4
(70.5) 		23.1
(73.6) 		24.5
(76.1) 		25.8
(78.4) 		26.2
(79.2) 		25.6
(78.1) 		25.5
(77.9) 		25.3
(77.5) 		24.1
(75.4) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.1
(71.8) 		24.0
(75.2)
Record low °C (°F) 15.2
(59.4) 		13.5
(56.3) 		14.9
(58.8) 		19.9
(67.8) 		19.7
(67.5) 		20.4
(68.7) 		21.0
(69.8) 		20.2
(68.4) 		20.4
(68.7) 		19.4
(66.9) 		16.7
(62.1) 		16.7
(62.1) 		13.5
(56.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 55
(2.2) 		40
(1.6) 		66
(2.6) 		176
(6.9) 		95
(3.7) 		42
(1.7) 		16
(0.6) 		16
(0.6) 		64
(2.5) 		238
(9.4) 		249
(9.8) 		138
(5.4) 		1,195
(47.0)
Average relative humidity (%) (at Daytime) 70 66 67 71 74 73 73 73 72 75 76 75 72
Source 1: NOAA [10]
Source 2: Department of Meteorology (records up to 2007)[11]

"Puttalam records from 2007 to 2021" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "The Chairman of puttalam urban council died following a road accident".
  2. ^ "Sri Lanka: Provinces, Districts, Divisional Secretariats, Cities - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts".
  3. ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Puttalam". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "Puttalam Salt". www.puttalamsalt.lk. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ "புத்தளம் பாத்திமாவின் புதிய அதிபராக கல்லூரியின் பழைய மாணவி பதவியேற்பு – Puttalam Online". Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  7. ^ "Provincial Department of Education - North Western". nwpedu.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  8. ^ Sanoon, Text and pictures by M. U. M.; Corr, Puttalam TKN. "Eleven years of excellence". Daily News. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  9. ^ http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2012Visualization/htdocs/index.php?usecase=indicator&action=DSMap&indId=10&district=Puttalam&Legend=3# statistics.gov.lk
  10. ^ "Puttalam Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  11. ^ "Ever Recorded Daily Extreme Values" (PDF). Department of Meteorology. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
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