Madurai weather in January

In January, Madurai sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 12 mm of rain across 2.6 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Madurai's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Madurai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
1st coldest
Rainfall
12 mm
2.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:42 AM – 6:11 PM
Cloud cover
51%
3rd clearest
Wind
8 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Madurai is city of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

Air quality
High
PM2.5 34.7 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
9,905/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end.

A typical January day in Madurai reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and about 3°C cooler than February.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13021
23021
33021
43021
53021
63021
73021
83021
93021
103121
113121
123121
133121
143121
153121
163121
173121
183121
193121
203121
213121
223121
233121
243121
253221
263221
273221
283221
293221
303221
313221

How January really feels in Madurai

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 11 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
11
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.

Madurai weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 21°122.611.55.3
Feb34° / 22°152.711.73.8
Mar37° / 24°244.211.92.0
Apr38° / 26°488.712.21.1
May38° / 27°6312.812.40.9
Jun37° / 26°4610.112.61.6
Jul36° / 26°5211.712.51.9
Aug36° / 26°7013.212.31.9
Sep36° / 25°8213.612.11.9
Oct33° / 24°16818.911.82.6
Nov30° / 23°1601711.53.9
Dec30° / 22°768.111.45.3

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35347
45446
55446
65545
75644
85644
95743
105743
115743
125743
135743
145842
155842
165842
175941
185941
195941
205941
216040
226040
236040
246139
256139
266139
276238
286238
296337
306337
316436

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Madurai gets around 12 mm of rain over 2.6 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
214
313
412
512
611
711
810
910
1010
119
129
139
149
159
169
178
188
198
208
218
228
238
248
258
268
278
289
299
309
3110

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the humid band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 49% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
104344715
204344715
304354614
404364614
504364613
605374513
705384512
806384411
906394411
1007404310
1108404210
120841419
130941409
1401042399
1501142389
1601143378
1701243368
1801344358
1901344358
2001444348
2101444348
2211444338
2311543338
2411543338
2511543338
2611642338
2711641338
2811641349
2911640349
3021639349
31217383410

Wind in January

Winds average 8 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 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 6:38 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 6:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.46:386:04
211.46:386:04
311.46:396:05
411.46:396:05
511.46:396:06
611.46:406:06
711.46:406:07
811.46:406:07
911.56:416:08
1011.56:416:08
1111.56:416:09
1211.56:416:09
1311.56:426:10
1411.56:426:10
1511.56:426:11
1611.56:426:11
1711.56:436:12
1811.56:436:12
1911.56:436:13
2011.56:436:13
2111.56:436:14
2211.56:436:14
2311.56:446:14
2411.56:446:15
2511.56:446:15
2611.56:446:16
2711.56:446:16
2811.56:446:17
2911.66:446:17
3011.66:446:17
3111.66:446:18

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.63 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 5.17 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.1Bright
145.1Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Madurai

In seasonPeak

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

Madurai's rainy season runs September–December, 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 Madurai?

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

5.3
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Madurai in January

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

In January, Madurai sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Madurai in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Madurai peaks around August 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highAug 16UV 13Dec 21UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Madurai in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Madurai is worst in November — around 47 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (July, 23 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Madurai's WHO annual average of 34.7 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorModeratePoorNov 2046 µg/m³Jul 1423 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan41Poor
Feb35Moderate
Mar34Moderate
Apr35Moderate
May37Poor
Jun24Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct43Poor
Nov47Poor
Dec46Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Madurai?

Madurai sits at 9.9°N, 78.1°E, 139 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Munnar, 117 km away.

AlappuzhaKochiJaffnaThaikattusseryMannarValvedditturaiPoint Pedro

Topography around Madurai

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Madurai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 25 m around an average of 137 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 283 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,338 m.

The land around Madurai is covered by artificial surfaces (75%) within 3 km, cropland (37%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and cropland (41%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
25 m
16 km
283 m
80 km
2,338 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Munnar 117 km · Alappuzha 202 km · Kochi 204 km · Jaffna 209 km · Thaikattussery 214 km · Mannar 219 km · Valvedditturai 225 km · Point Pedro 232 km

India travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / D / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,702
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.8
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
15.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 484
Religion
Hindu 80%Muslim 14%Christian 2%other and unspecified 2%

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 Madurai (9.919°, 78.1195°, elevation 139 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. 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).