Surfers Paradise weather in January

In January, Surfers Paradise sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 131 mm of rain across 12.7 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of January to 13 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Surfers Paradise's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Surfers Paradise's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
23°
12th coldest
Rainfall
131 mm
12.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
5:08 AM – 6:43 PM
Cloud cover
50%
11th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Surfers Paradise is suburb of Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia.

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 25°C through the month.

A typical January day in Surfers Paradise reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12523
22523
32523
42523
52523
62523
72523
82523
92523
102523
112523
122523
132523
142523
152523
162523
172523
182523
192523
202523
212523
222623
232623
242623
252623
262623
272623
282623
292623
302623
312623

Surfers Paradise weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 23°13112.713.66.6
Feb25° / 23°15013.6136.2
Mar25° / 22°1161512.26.4
Apr23° / 20°7312.211.46.7
May21° / 18°9710.710.66.7
Jun19° / 16°949.510.36.6
Jul19° / 15°486.310.47.1
Aug19° / 15°475.6117.4
Sep21° / 17°405.811.87.5
Oct22° / 19°758.712.77.2
Nov23° / 20°829.213.47.1
Dec24° / 22°10911.113.77.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26337
36337
46337
56337
66337
76337
86337
96238
106238
116238
126337
136337
146436
156436
166436
176436
186436
196436
206436
216436
226436
236436
246535
256436
266436
276436
286436
296436
306337
316337

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Surfers Paradise gets around 131 mm of rain over 12.7 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 40% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
239
339
439
539
638
738
838
938
1038
1138
1238
1338
1438
1538
1638
1738
1838
1939
2040
2140
2241
2342
2443
2544
2645
2745
2846
2947
3047
3148

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 42% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 76% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
162443261
262443261
352443261
452443271
552443271
652443271
742444271
842344272
942344272
1042344272
1142344262
1242345262
1342344272
1442244272
1542244272
1642244282
1742144282
1842044293
1942043303
2041943313
2131843323
2231742343
2331742353
2421641373
2521541384
2621540394
2721540404
2811539413
2911539413
3011539423
3111638423

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 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light 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 13 h 42 min at the start of January to 13 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 4:57 AM to 5:20 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 6:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.74:576:42
213.74:586:42
313.74:586:42
413.74:596:43
513.75:006:43
613.75:006:43
713.75:016:43
813.75:026:43
913.75:026:43
1013.75:036:43
1113.75:046:43
1213.65:056:44
1313.65:056:44
1413.65:066:44
1513.65:076:43
1613.65:086:43
1713.65:086:43
1813.65:096:43
1913.65:106:43
2013.55:116:43
2113.55:126:43
2213.55:126:43
2313.55:136:42
2413.55:146:42
2513.55:156:42
2613.45:166:42
2713.45:166:41
2813.45:176:41
2913.45:186:40
3013.45:196:40
3113.35:206:40

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3 kWh/m² to a high of 6.78 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 6.69 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
46.9Intense
56.9Intense
66.9Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.7Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.6Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.5Intense
216.5Intense
226.4Intense
236.4Intense
246.4Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Surfers Paradise

In seasonPeak

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

Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Surfers Paradise for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Surfers Paradise in January

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

In January, Surfers Paradise sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 23°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Surfers Paradise in January

The nearest coast averages about 26°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 23 km away) is warmest in February at about 27°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun23Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct23Refreshing
Nov24Refreshing
Dec25Warm

UV index in Surfers Paradise in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Surfers Paradise peaks around January 23 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 23UV 13Jun 18UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep8Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Surfers Paradise?

Surfers Paradise sits at 28.0°S, 153.4°E, 13 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Gold Coast, 0.0 km away.

Topography around Surfers Paradise

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Surfers Paradise has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 28 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 388 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,317 m.

The land around Surfers Paradise is covered by water (55%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 3 km, water (51%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and trees (40%) and water (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
28 m
16 km
388 m
80 km
1,317 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Gold Coast 0.0 km · Southport 5.0 km · Labrador 7.0 km · Robina 8.0 km · Nerang 9.0 km · Palm Beach 13 km · Pacific Pines 13 km · Helensvale 13 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 Surfers Paradise (-28.0027°, 153.43°, elevation 13 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).