Heraklion, Crete 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
Poor
Best time to visit: June – October
What is the weather like in Heraklion, Crete in January?
In January, Heraklion, Crete is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 16.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 48 mm in total. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Heraklion, Crete.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 26 | 23 | 27 |
| Day | 16° | 15° | 15° |
| Night | 10° | 8° | 8° |
| Sea | 18° | 16° | 16° |
| Sun | 6 h | 6 h | 7 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 | 9 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 10 h 1 min07:28 – 17:29
- UV index
- 3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 56 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Europe/Athens
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %53 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %60 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Heraklion, Crete in January: quick answers
Is Heraklion, Crete hot in January?
No. In January, Heraklion, Crete is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C and nights drop to about 8 °C.
Can you swim in Heraklion, Crete in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 16.4 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from June to November.
Does it rain much in Heraklion, Crete in January?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 48 mm in total.
Heraklion, Crete month by month
The whole year in Heraklion, CreteAll destinations: Greece
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)