Wellington 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
Excellent
Best time to visit: January – March
What is the weather like in Wellington in January?
In January, Wellington is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 15 °C. The sea averages 16.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 55 mm. All in all, January is an excellent month for a holiday in Wellington.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 71 | 86 | 88 |
| Day | 17° | 18° | 18° |
| Night | 14° | 15° | 15° |
| Sea | 15° | 16° | 17° |
| Sun | 7 h | 8 h | 8 h |
| Rain days | 11 | 8 | 7 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 14 h 50 min06:04 – 20:55
- UV index
- 9 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 28 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 57 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+13Pacific/Auckland
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %75 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %69 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Wetsuit for longer swims
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Wellington in January: quick answers
Is Wellington hot in January?
No. In January, Wellington is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C and nights drop to about 15 °C.
Can you swim in Wellington in January?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in January the sea averages just 16.0 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Wellington in January?
Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 55 mm.
Wellington month by month
The whole year in WellingtonAll destinations: New ZealandWhere 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