Kirkwall 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: May – June
What is the weather like in Kirkwall in January?
In January, Kirkwall is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 8.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 110 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 49 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Kirkwall.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Day | 8° | 7° | 7° |
| Night | 6° | 5° | 5° |
| Sea | 9° | 8° | 7° |
| Sun | 1 h | 1 h | 2 h |
| Rain days | 20 | 21 | 17 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 6 h 55 min08:53 – 15:48
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 49 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 77 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 1 day1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+0Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Kirkwall in January: quick answers
Is Kirkwall hot in January?
No. In January, Kirkwall is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C and nights drop to about 5 °C.
Can you swim in Kirkwall in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 8.0 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Kirkwall in January?
It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 110 mm.
Kirkwall month by month
The whole year in KirkwallAll destinations: United KingdomWhere 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). Sources & licences