City break

Southampton weather in January

Temperature, sea and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.

9

Holiday weather in January

Poor

Best time to visit: May – September

What is the weather like in Southampton in January?

In January, Southampton is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 3 °C. The sea averages 9.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 86 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Southampton.

January compared

How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.

DecemberDecJanuaryJanFebruaryFeb
Score13917
Day9°8°8°
Night5°3°4°
Sea11°9°8°
Sun2 h2 h3 h
Rain days131411

More details for January

Daylight
8 h 24 min08:02 – 16:26
UV index
1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
Muggy days
0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
Wind
31 km/haverage daily peakAll months
Cloud cover
72 %on averageAll months
Hot days
0 days30 °C or more
Time zone
UTC+0Europe/London

How the score comes together

  • Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
  • Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
  • Few rainy daysweight 30 %31 %

Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.

What to pack in January

  • Warm jacket
  • Rain jacket or umbrella
  • Windproof jacket

Southampton in January: quick answers

Is Southampton hot in January?

No. In January, Southampton is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C and nights drop to about 3 °C.

Can you swim in Southampton in January?

Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 9.0 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.

Does it rain much in Southampton in January?

Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 86 mm in total.

Southampton month by month

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