Nairobi weather in January
In January, Nairobi has an average high of 27 °C81 °F and an average low of 13 °C56 °F, with about 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation. It is the 5th warmest month of the year and ranks 7th for precipitation.
How January compares with other months
Compared with December, January is 0.5 °C1 °F warmer on average and drier by 26 mm1.0 in. Compared with February, January is 0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler on average and wetter by 10 mm0.4 in. Daylight lasts about 12.2 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 63% and the average cloud amount 51%.
Is January a good time to visit Nairobi?
Yes — January is one of the most comfortable months to visit Nairobi by our comfort score, which favours average highs of 21–28 °C, lows above 5 °C, little rain and moderate humidity.
What to wear in January
For Nairobi in January, pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
January in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | 2781 | 1356 | 391.5 |
| Ruiru | 2781 | 1457 | 431.7 |
| Thika | 2781 | 1458 | 431.7 |
| Mwala | 2984 | 1559 | 401.6 |
| Karuri | 3085 | 1661 | 491.9 |
| Nakuru | 2680 | 1355 | 542.1 |
| Arusha | 2984 | 1661 | 883.5 |
| Moshi | 3391 | 1967 | 522.0 |
| Kisii | 2680 | 1559 | 933.7 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F warmer in January: Mwala, Karuri, Arusha and Moshi.
Other months in Nairobi
- January27 °C81 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- February29 °C83 °F / 14 °C57 °F
- March28 °C83 °F / 14 °C58 °F
- April26 °C79 °F / 14 °C58 °F
- May25 °C77 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- June25 °C77 °F / 12 °C54 °F
- July25 °C77 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- August26 °C79 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- September28 °C82 °F / 13 °C55 °F
- October28 °C82 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- November26 °C78 °F / 14 °C57 °F
- December26 °C78 °F / 14 °C57 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Nairobi in January?
In January the average high in Nairobi is 27 °C (81 °F) and the average low is 13 °C (56 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Nairobi in January?
On average about 39 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation falls in January; it ranks 7th of the 12 months.
Is January the warmest month in Nairobi?
No. The warmest month in Nairobi is February, with an average high of 29 °C (83 °F). The coldest month is July, with an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
How long is the day in Nairobi in January?
In the middle of January the day in Nairobi lasts about 12.2 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Nairobi in January?
The average relative humidity in January is about 63%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Nairobi in January?
On average about 51% 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.