Pietermaritzburg weather in January
Temperature, rain 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: May – August
What is the weather like in Pietermaritzburg in January?
In January, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 139 mm. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 56 | 60 | 63 |
| Day | 25° | 26° | 26° |
| Night | 16° | 17° | 18° |
| Sun | 5 h | 5 h | 5 h |
| Rain days | 19 | 17 | 16 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 13 h 51 min05:12 – 19:02
- UV index
- 12 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 16 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 69 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 6 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %38 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %6 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Pietermaritzburg in January: quick answers
Is Pietermaritzburg hot in January?
Warm rather than hot: in January, daytime highs in Pietermaritzburg average 26 °C and nights cool to about 17 °C. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Does it rain much in Pietermaritzburg in January?
It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 139 mm.
Pietermaritzburg month by month
The whole year in PietermaritzburgAll destinations: South AfricaWhere to go 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