Johannesburg weather in January
In January, Johannesburg has an average high of 27 °C80 °F and an average low of 14 °C56 °F, with about 123 mm4.8 in of precipitation. January is the warmest month of the year and ranks 2nd for precipitation.
How January compares with other months
Compared with December, January is about the same temperature. Compared with February, January is about the same temperature and wetter by 41 mm1.6 in. Daylight lasts about 13.6 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 65% and the average cloud amount 63%.
Is January a good time to visit Johannesburg?
January is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is fairly wet (123 mm4.8 in). The most comfortable months in Johannesburg are February–May and August–November.
What to wear in January
For Johannesburg in January, pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
January in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 2780 | 1456 | 1234.8 |
| Alberton | 2984 | 1559 | 1074.2 |
| Roodepoort | 2780 | 1457 | 1234.8 |
| Soweto | 2883 | 1558 | 1074.2 |
| Thembisa | 2882 | 1559 | 1234.8 |
| Krugersdorp | 2781 | 1458 | 1194.7 |
| Etwatwa | 2882 | 1458 | 1204.7 |
| Nigel | 2883 | 1458 | 1164.6 |
| Pretoria | 3086 | 1762 | 1154.5 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F warmer in January: Alberton, Soweto, Thembisa and Nigel.
Other months in Johannesburg
- January27 °C80 °F / 14 °C56 °F
- February27 °C80 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- March25 °C77 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- April22 °C72 °F / 8 °C47 °F
- May19 °C67 °F / 4 °C40 °F
- June16 °C61 °F / 1 °C34 °F
- July16 °C62 °F / 0 °C33 °F
- August20 °C68 °F / 3 °C38 °F
- September25 °C77 °F / 7 °C45 °F
- October27 °C80 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- November27 °C80 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- December27 °C80 °F / 13 °C56 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Johannesburg in January?
In January the average high in Johannesburg is 27 °C (80 °F) and the average low is 14 °C (56 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Johannesburg in January?
On average about 123 mm (4.8 in) of precipitation falls in January; it ranks 2nd of the 12 months.
Is January the warmest month in Johannesburg?
No. The warmest month in Johannesburg is November, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F). The coldest month is July, with an average low of 0 °C (33 °F).
How long is the day in Johannesburg in January?
In the middle of January the day in Johannesburg lasts about 13.6 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Johannesburg in January?
The average relative humidity in January is about 65%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Johannesburg in January?
On average about 63% of the sky is covered by cloud in January. This is the mean cloud amount from satellite data, not the number of sunny days.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,538 m, while Johannesburg lies at about 1,767 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.5 °C2.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.