Barus weather in January

In January, Barus sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 342 mm of rain across 27.2 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Barus's 4th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
6th warmest
Overnight low
23°
7th coldest
Rainfall
342 mm
27.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:39 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
85%
4th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.1 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in Barus reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 29°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)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72723
82723
92723
102723
112723
122823
132823
142823
152823
162823
172823
182823
192823
202823
212823
222823
232823
242823
252823
262823
272823
282823
292823
302823
312823

Barus weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 23°34227.211.93.7
Feb28° / 23°31424.811.93.7
Mar28° / 23°36128.6123.4
Apr28° / 23°38227.6123.5
May28° / 23°26122.212.14.0
Jun28° / 23°16417.612.14.6
Jul28° / 23°19619.712.14.7
Aug27° / 23°28522.912.14.3
Sep27° / 23°30223.9124.0
Oct27° / 23°41926123.8
Nov27° / 23°52128.311.93.4
Dec27° / 23°43928.411.93.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 89%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11090
21189
31189
41288
51387
61387
71387
81486
91486
101387
111387
121387
131288
141189
151189
161189
171189
181090
19991
20991
21991
221090
231090
241090
251090
261090
271090
281090
291189
301189
311288

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Barus gets around 342 mm of rain over 27.2 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 88% and peaks near 90% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
188
287
387
486
586
686
786
886
986
1087
1187
1288
1388
1489
1589
1690
1790
1890
1990
2090
2190
2290
2390
2490
2589
2689
2789
2889
2989
3088
3188

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 91% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11090
21090
31090
41090
51189
61189
71189
81189
91090
101090
111090
121090
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21892
22892
23892
24892
25991
26991
27892
28892
29892
30892
31892

Wind in January

Winds average 4 km/h in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 54 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 6:33 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 6:26 PM to 6:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:336:26
211.96:336:27
311.96:346:27
411.96:346:28
511.96:356:28
611.96:356:28
711.96:366:29
811.96:366:29
911.96:366:30
1011.96:376:30
1111.96:376:31
1211.96:376:31
1311.96:386:31
1411.96:386:32
1511.96:396:32
1611.96:396:33
1711.96:396:33
1811.96:396:33
1911.96:406:34
2011.96:406:34
2111.96:406:34
2211.96:416:35
2311.96:416:35
2411.96:416:35
2511.96:416:36
2611.96:416:36
2711.96:426:36
2811.96:426:36
2911.96:426:37
3011.96:426:37
3111.96:426:37

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.1 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.18 kWh/m² to a high of 5.53 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 5.1 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.1Bright
165.1Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Barus

In seasonPeak

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

Barus sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.

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

Is January a good time to visit Barus?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
3.9
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Barus.

What to pack for Barus in January

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

In January, Barus sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 27 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Barus in January

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 15 km away) is warmest in March at about 30°C and coldest in November near 29°C.

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

28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb30Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Barus 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 Barus peaks around February 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 20UV 14Jun 20UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Barus 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 Barus is worst in February — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodFeb 2017 µg/m³Nov 2312 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Barus?

Barus sits at 2.0°N, 98.4°E, 5 m above sea level, in Indonesia. The nearest listed city is Sibolga, 52 km away.

Topography around Barus

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Barus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 37 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,089 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,119 m.

The land around Barus is covered by water (48%), trees (25%) and cropland (20%) within 3 km, trees (48%) and water (48%) within 16 km, and trees (46%) and water (46%) within 80 km.

3 km
37 m
16 km
1,089 m
80 km
2,119 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Sibolga 52 km · Tarutung 63 km · Pangururan 74 km · Singkil 74 km · Sidikalang 83 km · Subulussalam 92 km · Paropo 96 km · Tongging 100 km

Indonesia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,060
2025
Happiness
5.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
30%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.3
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
11.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 471
Religion
Muslim 87%Protestant 8%Roman Catholic 3%Hindu 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 Barus (2.0106°, 98.3982°, elevation 5 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. 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).