Durban weather in January
Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Good
Best time to visit: November – June
What is the weather like in Durban in January?
In January, Durban is warm: daytime highs average 27 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sea averages 25.3 °C – pleasant for swimming. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 90 mm in total. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Durban.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 77 | 79 | 80 |
| Day | 26° | 27° | 27° |
| Night | 21° | 22° | 22° |
| Sea | 24° | 25° | 26° |
| Sun | 6 h | 6 h | 6 h |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 | 12 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 13 h 52 min05:09 – 19:00
- UV index
- 11 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 27 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 26 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 61 %on average
- Hot days
- 2 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %100 %
- Seaweight 25 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %57 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %39 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Durban in January: quick answers
Is Durban hot in January?
Warm rather than hot: in January, daytime highs in Durban average 27 °C and nights cool to about 22 °C. On about 2 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Durban in January?
Yes. In January the sea averages 25.3 °C – pleasant for swimming.
Does it rain much in Durban in January?
Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 90 mm in total.
Durban month by month
The whole year in DurbanAll destinations: South AfricaWhere to go in JanuarySea temperature in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)