Hobart weather in January

In January, Hobart sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 47 mm of rain across 7.8 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 06 min at the start of January to 14 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Hobart's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hobart's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
1st warmest
Overnight low
12°
11th coldest
Rainfall
47 mm
7.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 48 min
5:55 AM – 8:45 PM
Cloud cover
66%
5th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.44 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Hobart is capital city of Tasmania, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
188/km²
people per km²
Founded
1803

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 20°C through the month.

A typical January day in Hobart reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11912
21912
32012
42012
52012
62012
72012
82012
92012
102012
112012
122012
132012
142012
152012
162012
172112
182112
192112
202112
212112
222112
232112
242012
252012
262012
272012
282012
292012
302012
312012

Hobart weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 12°477.814.86.5
Feb20° / 12°447.313.86.4
Mar19° / 11°458.212.46.1
Apr16° / 478.810.95.1
May14° / 449.39.63.9
Jun12° / 468.98.93.0
Jul11° / 4710.59.22.7
Aug12° / 5811.410.23.0
Sep14° / 5311.211.73.7
Oct15° / 5511.313.24.3
Nov17° / 6011.314.55.0
Dec18° / 11°589.715.15.9

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23664
33664
43664
53763
63763
73664
83763
93763
103862
113862
123862
133862
143862
153862
163862
173862
183862
193862
203763
213763
223664
233664
243763
253763
263664
273664
283664
293664
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Hobart gets around 47 mm of rain over 7.8 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 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
127
227
326
426
525
625
725
824
924
1023
1123
1223
1322
1422
1522
1622
1722
1823
1923
2024
2124
2225
2325
2426
2526
2626
2726
2827
2927
3027
3127

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 88% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19091
29091
39091
49091
59091
69091
79091
89091
98992
108992
118992
128992
138992
1488102
1588102
1689101
1789101
1889101
1988111
2088111
2187112
2287112
2386122
2486122
2586122
2686122
2785132
2885132
2985132
3083143
3183143

Wind in January

Winds average 13 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 06 min at the start of January to 14 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:41 AM to 6:13 AM, and sunset from 8:47 PM to 8:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.15:418:47
215.15:418:47
315.15:428:47
415.15:438:47
515.15:448:47
615.05:458:47
715.05:468:47
815.05:478:47
915.05:488:47
1015.05:498:47
1114.95:508:47
1214.95:518:46
1314.95:528:46
1414.95:538:46
1514.95:548:45
1614.85:558:45
1714.85:568:44
1814.85:578:44
1914.75:588:43
2014.76:008:43
2114.76:018:42
2214.76:028:42
2314.66:038:41
2414.66:058:40
2514.66:068:40
2614.56:078:39
2714.56:088:38
2814.56:108:37
2914.46:118:36
3014.46:128:36
3114.46:138:35

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.44 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.36 kWh/m² to a high of 6.44 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 6.44 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.7Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.6Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.5Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.0Intense
276.0Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Hobart?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Hobart for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hobart in January

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

In January, Hobart sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Hobart in January

The nearest coast averages about 16°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 36 km away) is warmest in February at about 17°C and coldest in September near 12°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr15Cool
May14Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep12Bracing
Oct12Bracing
Nov13Bracing
Dec14Bracing

UV index in Hobart in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hobart peaks around December 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highExtremeDec 22UV 11Jun 20UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb9Very high
Mar7Very high
Apr4Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul1Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Hobart?

Hobart sits at 42.9°S, 147.3°E, 19 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Launceston, 161 km away.

BurnieTraralgonWarragulMount MarthaMorningtonLangwarrin

Topography around Hobart

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hobart has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 377 m around an average of 52 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,264 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,405 m.

The land around Hobart is covered by water (37%), artificial surfaces (32%) and trees (27%) within 3 km, trees (48%), water (22%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (46%), water (32%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
377 m
16 km
1,264 m
80 km
1,405 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Launceston 161 km · Devonport 206 km · Burnie 235 km · Traralgon 525 km · Warragul 538 km · Mount Martha 549 km · Mornington 553 km · Langwarrin 555 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 Hobart (-42.8794°, 147.3294°, elevation 19 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. 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).