Phnom Penh weather in January
In January, Phnom Penh sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 15 mm of rain across 3 wet days and about 11.4 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of January to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Phnom Penh's 3rd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Phnom Penh's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 32°
- 8th warmest
- Overnight low
- 23°
- 1st coldest
- Rainfall
- 15 mm
- 3 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 24 min
- 6:28 AM – 5:51 PM
- Cloud cover
- 54%
- 3rd clearest
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.24 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.5
- out of 10
Phnom Penh is capital of Cambodia.
- Density
- 2,319/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1372
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month.
A typical January day in Phnom Penh reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 30°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and about 1°C cooler than February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Avg low (°C) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | 23 |
| 2 | 32 | 23 |
| 3 | 32 | 23 |
| 4 | 32 | 23 |
| 5 | 32 | 23 |
| 6 | 32 | 23 |
| 7 | 32 | 23 |
| 8 | 32 | 23 |
| 9 | 32 | 23 |
| 10 | 32 | 23 |
| 11 | 32 | 23 |
| 12 | 32 | 23 |
| 13 | 32 | 23 |
| 14 | 32 | 23 |
| 15 | 32 | 23 |
| 16 | 32 | 23 |
| 17 | 32 | 23 |
| 18 | 32 | 23 |
| 19 | 32 | 23 |
| 20 | 32 | 23 |
| 21 | 32 | 23 |
| 22 | 32 | 23 |
| 23 | 33 | 23 |
| 24 | 33 | 23 |
| 25 | 33 | 23 |
| 26 | 33 | 23 |
| 27 | 33 | 23 |
| 28 | 33 | 23 |
| 29 | 33 | 23 |
| 30 | 33 | 23 |
| 31 | 33 | 23 |
How January really feels in Phnom Penh
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.
The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Phnom Penh weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 8th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32° / 23° | 15 | 3 | 11.4 | 4.5 |
| Feb | 34° / 24° | 8 | 1.7 | 11.6 | 3.8 |
| Mar | 35° / 26° | 36 | 6.2 | 11.9 | 2.7 |
| Apr | 36° / 27° | 81 | 14.6 | 12.2 | 1.9 |
| May | 35° / 27° | 154 | 22.7 | 12.5 | 1.8 |
| Jun | 34° / 26° | 154 | 24.3 | 12.7 | 2.0 |
| Jul | 33° / 26° | 154 | 25.6 | 12.6 | 2.2 |
| Aug | 33° / 26° | 178 | 25.9 | 12.4 | 2.1 |
| Sep | 32° / 26° | 245 | 27.2 | 12.1 | 2.1 |
| Oct | 32° / 25° | 244 | 24.7 | 11.7 | 2.6 |
| Nov | 32° / 25° | 78 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 31° / 24° | 27 | 5.1 | 11.3 | 4.7 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 49 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 63 |
| Cloudier (%) | 51 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 37 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 49 | 51 |
| 2 | 50 | 50 |
| 3 | 51 | 49 |
| 4 | 51 | 49 |
| 5 | 53 | 47 |
| 6 | 53 | 47 |
| 7 | 54 | 46 |
| 8 | 54 | 46 |
| 9 | 54 | 46 |
| 10 | 55 | 45 |
| 11 | 55 | 45 |
| 12 | 56 | 44 |
| 13 | 56 | 44 |
| 14 | 56 | 44 |
| 15 | 56 | 44 |
| 16 | 56 | 44 |
| 17 | 56 | 44 |
| 18 | 56 | 44 |
| 19 | 56 | 44 |
| 20 | 56 | 44 |
| 21 | 56 | 44 |
| 22 | 57 | 43 |
| 23 | 57 | 43 |
| 24 | 58 | 42 |
| 25 | 58 | 42 |
| 26 | 59 | 41 |
| 27 | 60 | 40 |
| 28 | 61 | 39 |
| 29 | 62 | 38 |
| 30 | 63 | 37 |
| 31 | 63 | 37 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Phnom Penh gets around 15 mm of rain over 3 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 9% and peaks near 10% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 10 |
| 7 | 9 |
| 8 | 9 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 10 |
| 11 | 10 |
| 12 | 10 |
| 13 | 10 |
| 14 | 10 |
| 15 | 10 |
| 16 | 10 |
| 17 | 10 |
| 18 | 10 |
| 19 | 10 |
| 20 | 10 |
| 21 | 10 |
| 22 | 10 |
| 23 | 10 |
| 24 | 10 |
| 25 | 9 |
| 26 | 9 |
| 27 | 9 |
| 28 | 8 |
| 29 | 8 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 31 | 6 |
Humidity in January
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 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 71% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Humid (%) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Muggy (%) | 39 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Oppressive (%) | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Miserable (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 39 | 31 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 40 | 32 | 1 |
| 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 39 | 32 | 1 |
| 4 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 39 | 32 | 1 |
| 5 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 39 | 33 | 1 |
| 6 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 38 | 33 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 37 | 34 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 37 | 35 | 1 |
| 9 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 36 | 35 | 2 |
| 10 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 35 | 36 | 2 |
| 11 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 34 | 36 | 2 |
| 12 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 36 | 2 |
| 13 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 36 | 2 |
| 14 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 36 | 2 |
| 15 | 0 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 36 | 2 |
| 16 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 34 | 36 | 1 |
| 17 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 34 | 36 | 1 |
| 18 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 35 | 36 | 1 |
| 19 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 35 | 35 | 1 |
| 20 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 35 | 35 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 34 | 1 |
| 22 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 34 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 37 | 33 | 1 |
| 24 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 37 | 33 | 1 |
| 25 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 38 | 32 | 1 |
| 26 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 38 | 31 | 1 |
| 27 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 39 | 30 | 1 |
| 28 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 40 | 30 | 1 |
| 29 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 40 | 29 | 1 |
| 30 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 41 | 28 | 1 |
| 31 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 42 | 27 | 1 |
Wind in January
Winds average 8 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | calm |
| 2 | 9 | calm |
| 3 | 9 | calm |
| 4 | 9 | calm |
| 5 | 8 | calm |
| 6 | 8 | calm |
| 7 | 8 | calm |
| 8 | 8 | calm |
| 9 | 8 | calm |
| 10 | 8 | calm |
| 11 | 8 | calm |
| 12 | 8 | calm |
| 13 | 8 | calm |
| 14 | 8 | calm |
| 15 | 8 | calm |
| 16 | 8 | calm |
| 17 | 8 | calm |
| 18 | 8 | calm |
| 19 | 8 | calm |
| 20 | 8 | calm |
| 21 | 8 | calm |
| 22 | 8 | calm |
| 23 | 8 | calm |
| 24 | 8 | calm |
| 25 | 8 | calm |
| 26 | 8 | calm |
| 27 | 8 | calm |
| 28 | 8 | calm |
| 29 | 8 | calm |
| 30 | 8 | calm |
| 31 | 8 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of January to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:24 AM to 6:29 AM, and sunset from 5:43 PM to 5:58 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:43 | 5:44 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:47 | 5:47 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:58 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:43 |
| 2 | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:44 |
| 3 | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:45 |
| 4 | 11.3 | 6:25 | 5:45 |
| 5 | 11.3 | 6:25 | 5:46 |
| 6 | 11.3 | 6:25 | 5:46 |
| 7 | 11.4 | 6:26 | 5:47 |
| 8 | 11.4 | 6:26 | 5:47 |
| 9 | 11.4 | 6:26 | 5:48 |
| 10 | 11.4 | 6:27 | 5:48 |
| 11 | 11.4 | 6:27 | 5:49 |
| 12 | 11.4 | 6:27 | 5:49 |
| 13 | 11.4 | 6:27 | 5:50 |
| 14 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:50 |
| 15 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:51 |
| 16 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:51 |
| 17 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:52 |
| 18 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:52 |
| 19 | 11.4 | 6:28 | 5:53 |
| 20 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:53 |
| 21 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:54 |
| 22 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:54 |
| 23 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:55 |
| 24 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:55 |
| 25 | 11.4 | 6:29 | 5:56 |
| 26 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:56 |
| 27 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:57 |
| 28 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:57 |
| 29 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:57 |
| 30 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:58 |
| 31 | 11.5 | 6:29 | 5:58 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.24 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.59 kWh/m² to a high of 6.14 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 5.24 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.6 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Phnom Penh
In January, Phnom Penh sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Phnom Penh sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Phnom Penh's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is January a good time to visit Phnom Penh?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is a reasonable time to visit Phnom Penh for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Phnom Penh in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Phnom Penh sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 3 days see rain.
UV index in Phnom Penh in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Phnom Penh peaks around August 18 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 19 at about 9 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 14 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Phnom Penh in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Phnom Penh is worst in February — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.4× the cleanest month (August, 18 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 42 | 44 | 41 | 35 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | Poor |
| Feb | 44 | Poor |
| Mar | 41 | Poor |
| Apr | 35 | Poor |
| May | 26 | Moderate |
| Jun | 21 | Moderate |
| Jul | 21 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 22 | Moderate |
| Oct | 28 | Moderate |
| Nov | 29 | Moderate |
| Dec | 29 | Moderate |
Where is Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh sits at 11.6°N, 104.9°E, 20 m above sea level, in Cambodia. The nearest listed city is Boeng Kak Pir, 3.0 km away.
Topography around Phnom Penh
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Phnom Penh.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Phnom Penh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 25 m around an average of 13 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 713 m.
The land around Phnom Penh is covered by artificial surfaces (82%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (25%) within 16 km, and cropland (70%) within 80 km.
Cambodia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / C / G
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 34% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $2,872
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 30%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 1.8
- per 100k, 2011
- Road deaths
- 19.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 390
- Religion
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 Phnom Penh (11.5625°, 104.916°, elevation 20 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). UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).