Adelaide city centre weather in January

In January, Adelaide city centre sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 19 mm of rain across 3.2 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of January to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Adelaide city centre's 1st-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Adelaide city centre's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
1st warmest
Overnight low
17°
11th coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
3.2 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
6:22 AM – 8:28 PM
Cloud cover
36%
1st clearest
Wind
18 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
7.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Adelaide city centre is suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.

Density
1,888/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.

A typical January day in Adelaide city centre reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12416
22416
32416
42416
52416
62416
72417
82417
92417
102417
112517
122517
132517
142517
152517
162517
172517
182517
192517
202517
212517
222517
232517
242517
252517
262517
272517
282517
292517
302517
312517

Adelaide city centre weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 17°193.214.18.5
Feb24° / 17°182.613.38.6
Mar22° / 16°193.512.38.1
Apr20° / 14°365.611.17.0
May17° / 12°528.610.25.5
Jun14° / 10°619.89.74.2
Jul13° / 6410.39.93.8
Aug14° / 5810.710.74.0
Sep16° / 10°539.611.85.0
Oct18° / 12°356.412.96.5
Nov21° / 13°305.313.87.2
Dec23° / 15°254.614.37.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in January, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 27%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27228
37327
47327
57327
67327
77327
87327
97327
107327
117327
127327
137327
147426
157426
167426
177426
187426
197426
207426
217426
227426
237426
247426
257426
267327
277327
287327
297327
307327
317327

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Adelaide city centre gets around 19 mm of rain over 3.2 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
410
510
610
710
810
910
1010
1110
1210
1310
1410
1510
1610
1710
1810
1910
2010
2110
2210
2310
2410
2511
2611
2711
2811
2911
3011
3111

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 61% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1732151
2722251
3712261
4702361
5692461
6682471
7672571
8662572
9662572
10652672
11642682
12632782
13632782
14622882
15612982
16612982
17603082
18593182
19583282
20583282
21573382
22573382
23573382
24553492
25553492
26553492
27553492
28563392
29563392
305533102
315533102

Wind in January

Winds average 18 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of January to 13 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:09 AM to 6:36 AM, and sunset from 8:28 PM to 8:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.36:098:28
214.36:108:28
314.36:118:28
414.36:128:29
514.36:128:29
614.36:138:29
714.26:148:29
814.26:158:29
914.26:168:29
1014.26:168:29
1114.26:178:29
1214.26:188:29
1314.26:198:29
1414.16:208:28
1514.16:218:28
1614.16:228:28
1714.16:238:28
1814.16:248:28
1914.06:248:27
2014.06:258:27
2114.06:268:27
2214.06:278:26
2314.06:288:26
2413.96:298:25
2513.96:308:25
2613.96:318:25
2713.96:328:24
2813.86:338:23
2913.86:348:23
3013.86:358:22
3113.86:368:22

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.83 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.2 kWh/m² to a high of 7.83 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 7.83 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.1Intense
28.1Intense
38.1Intense
48.1Intense
58.1Intense
68.0Intense
78.0Intense
88.0Intense
97.9Intense
107.9Intense
117.9Intense
127.8Intense
137.8Intense
147.8Intense
157.7Intense
167.7Intense
177.7Intense
187.7Intense
197.6Intense
207.6Intense
217.6Intense
227.5Intense
237.5Intense
247.5Intense
257.5Intense
267.4Intense
277.4Intense
287.4Intense
297.3Intense
307.3Intense
317.3Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Adelaide city centre

In seasonPeak

In January, Adelaide city centre sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Adelaide city centre sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Cyclone
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Adelaide city centre?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Adelaide city centre for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Adelaide city centre in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Adelaide city centre sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 17°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 3 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Adelaide city centre in January

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 22 km away) is warmest in February at about 22°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 22 to Apr 3 — about 3.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb22Refreshing
Mar21Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May17Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul14Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct16Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec20Cool

UV index in Adelaide city centre in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Adelaide city centre peaks around January 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 10UV 13Jun 18UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Adelaide city centre?

Adelaide city centre sits at 34.9°S, 138.6°E, 58 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Adelaide, 0.0 km away.

Whyalla

Topography around Adelaide city centre

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Adelaide city centre.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Adelaide city centre has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 63 m around an average of 43 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 714 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 700 m.

The land around Adelaide city centre is covered by artificial surfaces (65%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (39%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and water (36%), grassland (27%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
63 m
16 km
714 m
80 km
700 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Adelaide 0.0 km · Adelaide Hills 10 km · Parafield Gardens 16 km · Paralowie 19 km · Morphett Vale 24 km · Mount Barker 28 km · Gawler 39 km · Whyalla 232 km

Australia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$65,130
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
4.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Adelaide city centre (-34.9287°, 138.6033°, elevation 58 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).