Punaauia weather in January

In January, Punaauia sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 237 mm of rain across 23.3 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Punaauia's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Punaauia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
4th warmest
Overnight low
25°
9th coldest
Rainfall
237 mm
23.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
5:39 AM – 6:36 PM
Cloud cover
69%
11th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
6.25 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Punaauia reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52725
62725
72725
82725
92725
102725
112725
122725
132725
142725
152725
162725
172725
182725
192725
202725
212725
222725
232725
242725
252725
262725
272725
282725
292725
302725
312725

Punaauia weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 25°23723.312.94.5
Feb27° / 25°21221.712.64.5
Mar27° / 26°17520.612.15.0
Apr27° / 26°14117.611.65.4
May26° / 25°11415.611.26.0
Jun26° / 24°8312.8116.5
Jul25° / 24°5911.711.16.9
Aug25° / 24°5710.511.47.2
Sep25° / 24°8011.511.96.9
Oct25° / 24°11114.212.46.3
Nov26° / 25°13217.812.85.5
Dec26° / 25°26823.1134.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 21% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
23070
33070
43169
53169
63169
73268
83367
93367
103367
113367
123466
133466
143565
153763
163763
173763
183961
194060
204060
214060
224060
234159
244159
254159
264159
274159
284159
294060
304060
313961

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Punaauia gets around 237 mm of rain over 23.3 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 76% and peaks near 77% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
177
276
376
476
575
675
775
875
975
1076
1176
1276
1376
1477
1577
1676
1776
1876
1976
2076
2176
2276
2376
2476
2576
2676
2776
2877
2977
3077
3177

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 90% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
13925
23925
33916
43916
53916
63916
73907
83907
93907
103907
113907
123907
133907
143907
153907
163907
173907
183907
193907
203907
213907
222917
232917
242917
252908
262908
272908
282899
291909
301909
3118910

Wind in January

Winds average 21 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120light breeze
220light breeze
320light breeze
420light breeze
520light breeze
620light breeze
720light breeze
820breezy
920breezy
1020breezy
1120breezy
1220breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2121breezy
2221breezy
2321breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:30 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 6:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:306:33
213.05:316:33
313.05:326:33
413.05:326:34
513.05:336:34
613.05:336:34
713.05:346:35
813.05:346:35
913.05:356:35
1013.05:366:35
1113.05:366:35
1213.05:376:36
1313.05:376:36
1413.05:386:36
1513.05:396:36
1612.95:396:36
1712.95:406:36
1812.95:406:36
1912.95:416:36
2012.95:426:36
2112.95:426:36
2212.95:436:36
2312.95:436:36
2412.95:446:36
2512.95:456:36
2612.95:456:36
2712.85:466:36
2812.85:466:36
2912.85:476:36
3012.85:476:36
3112.85:486:36

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.25 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.05 kWh/m² to a high of 6.62 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 6.25 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.3Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Punaauia

In seasonPeak

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

Punaauia's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Punaauia?

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

4.5
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Punaauia for sightseeing.

What to pack for Punaauia in January

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

In January, Punaauia sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker. About 23 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Punaauia 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 offshore is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Punaauia in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Punaauia peaks around February 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 14UV 16Jun 17UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov15Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Punaauia?

Punaauia sits at 17.6°S, 149.6°W, 24 m above sea level, in French Polynesia. The nearest listed city is Faaa, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Punaauia

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Punaauia has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 872 m around an average of 189 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,814 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,792 m.

The land around Punaauia is covered by trees (51%) and water (30%) within 3 km, water (57%) and trees (38%) within 16 km, and water (91%) within 80 km.

3 km
872 m
16 km
1,814 m
80 km
1,792 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Faaa 8.0 km · Papeete 11 km · Moorea 27 km · Bora Bora 260 km · Avarua 1,138 km · Alofi 2,149 km · Adamstown 2,179 km · Pago Pago 2,285 km

French Polynesia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / E / F
110 / 220 V · 50 / 60 Hz
GDP per capita
$22,440
2024
Safe drinking water
90%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.4
per 100k, 2009
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 54%Roman Catholic 30%other 10%no religion 6%

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 Punaauia (-17.6333°, -149.6°, elevation 24 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).