Fortaleza weather in January

In January, Fortaleza sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 94 mm of rain across 18.2 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of January to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Fortaleza's 9th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fortaleza's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
6th warmest
Overnight low
25°
10th coldest
Rainfall
94 mm
18.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:38 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
59%
9th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
5.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.4
out of 10

Fortaleza is human settlement in Brazil.

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 29°C through the month.

A typical January day in Fortaleza reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13026
23026
33026
43026
53026
62926
72925
82925
92925
102925
112925
122925
132925
142925
152925
162925
172925
182925
192925
202925
212925
222925
232925
242925
252925
262925
272925
282925
292925
302925
312925

How January really feels in Fortaleza

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Fortaleza weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 25°9418.212.24.4
Feb29° / 25°13220.112.14.0
Mar29° / 25°19425.4123.6
Apr29° / 25°24825.511.93.5
May29° / 25°12919.611.84.4
Jun29° / 25°7213.711.85.3
Jul29° / 24°367.711.86.2
Aug30° / 24°82.311.96.7
Sep30° / 25°41.2126.8
Oct30° / 25°51.612.16.6
Nov30° / 26°72.312.26.3
Dec30° / 26°278.512.25.5

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% 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 51%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
35842
45743
55545
65446
75347
85248
95050
104951
114951
124852
134753
144753
154753
164654
174654
184654
194555
204654
214654
224654
234753
244654
254654
264654
274654
284654
294753
304753
314852

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Fortaleza gets around 94 mm of rain over 18.2 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 58% and peaks near 63% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
244
346
447
549
650
752
853
955
1056
1157
1259
1360
1461
1561
1662
1762
1863
1963
2063
2163
2263
2363
2463
2563
2663
2763
2863
2963
3063
3163

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 83% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
18911
28911
38911
48911
58812
68812
78812
88713
98713
108614
118614
128515
138515
148515
158416
168317
178317
188218
198119
208119
218020
228020
237921
247921
257822
267822
277723
287624
297525
307525
317426

Wind in January

Winds average 17 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of January to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:31 AM to 5:43 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 5:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.25:315:44
212.25:315:44
312.25:325:45
412.25:325:45
512.25:335:45
612.25:335:46
712.25:345:46
812.25:345:47
912.25:355:47
1012.25:355:47
1112.25:365:48
1212.25:365:48
1312.25:365:48
1412.25:375:49
1512.25:375:49
1612.25:385:49
1712.25:385:50
1812.25:385:50
1912.25:395:50
2012.25:395:50
2112.25:405:51
2212.25:405:51
2312.25:405:51
2412.25:415:51
2512.25:415:51
2612.25:415:52
2712.25:425:52
2812.25:425:52
2912.25:425:52
3012.25:425:52
3112.25:435:52

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.7 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.74 kWh/m² in September across the year — January's 5.7 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Fortaleza

In seasonPeak

None of Fortaleza's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Fortaleza's monsoon runs February–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Fortaleza?

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

4.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Fortaleza for sightseeing.

What to pack for Fortaleza in January

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

In January, Fortaleza sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Fortaleza in January

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 14 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in August near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Fortaleza 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 Fortaleza peaks around March 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 17UV 15Jun 23UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Fortaleza?

Fortaleza sits at 3.7°S, 38.5°W, 18 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Caucaia, 12 km away.

Topography around Fortaleza

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Fortaleza has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 33 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 67 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,081 m.

The land around Fortaleza is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and water (41%) within 3 km, water (50%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
33 m
16 km
67 m
80 km
1,081 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Caucaia 12 km · Maracanaú 20 km · Eusébio 22 km · Maranguape 25 km · Aquiraz 27 km · Itaitinga 28 km · Pacatuba 31 km · Guaiúba 37 km

Brazil travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / N
127 / 220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$10,713
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
89%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
19.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 482
Religion
Roman Catholic 57%Evangelical 27%none 9%other 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 Fortaleza (-3.7172°, -38.5431°, elevation 18 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).