May Pen weather in January

In January, May Pen sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 19 mm of rain across 6.5 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 12th-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 62% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is May Pen's 2nd-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see May Pen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
12th warmest
Overnight low
21°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
6.5 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:47 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
38%
2nd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

May Pen is city in Middlesex, Jamaica.

Founded
1660

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 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in May Pen reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12821
22821
32821
42821
52821
62821
72821
82821
92821
102821
112821
122821
132821
142821
152820
162820
172820
182820
192820
202820
212820
222820
232820
242820
252820
262820
272820
282820
292820
302820
312820

How January really feels in May Pen

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

May Pen weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 21°196.5116.7
Feb28° / 20°226.711.46.5
Mar29° / 21°388.911.96.0
Apr30° / 22°6111.912.45.1
May30° / 23°13218.512.84.1
Jun31° / 23°7514.313.14.1
Jul32° / 24°6213.2133.9
Aug32° / 24°9818.112.63.4
Sep31° / 23°14421.512.13.2
Oct30° / 23°13923.411.63.6
Nov29° / 22°7013.911.24.9
Dec29° / 21°337.810.96.3

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18119
28119
38119
48119
58119
68218
78317
88317
98416
108416
118416
128416
138515
148515
158515
168614
178614
188614
198614
208614
218614
228614
238614
248614
258614
268614
278614
288614
298713
308713
318713

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

May Pen gets around 19 mm of rain over 6.5 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 21% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
121
221
321
421
522
622
722
823
923
1022
1122
1222
1322
1421
1521
1621
1721
1821
1920
2020
2120
2220
2320
2420
2520
2620
2720
2820
2921
3021
3121

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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 75% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 79% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11127710
2112789
3113788
4113797
5113797
6114796
7114796
8115795
9115795
10115795
11216775
12216775
13217765
14218755
15218764
16219754
17220744
18221734
19221743
20222733
21223723
22224722
23224722
24225712
25226702
26226711
27226711
28226711
29226711
30226711
31226711

Wind in January

Winds average 9 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:44 AM to 6:47 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 5:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.96:445:40
210.96:445:41
310.96:455:41
411.06:455:42
511.06:455:43
611.06:455:43
711.06:465:44
811.06:465:44
911.06:465:45
1011.06:465:46
1111.06:475:46
1211.06:475:47
1311.06:475:47
1411.06:475:48
1511.06:475:49
1611.06:475:49
1711.06:475:50
1811.06:475:50
1911.16:485:51
2011.16:485:52
2111.16:485:52
2211.16:485:53
2311.16:485:53
2411.16:475:54
2511.16:475:55
2611.16:475:55
2711.16:475:56
2811.26:475:56
2911.26:475:57
3011.26:475:57
3111.26:475:58

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.61 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.35 kWh/m² to a high of 6.66 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 4.61 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for May Pen

In seasonPeak

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

May Pen sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

May Pen's rainy season runs August–November, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit May Pen?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for May Pen in January

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

In January, May Pen sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near May Pen in January

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February 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
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in May Pen in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in May Pen peaks around April 21 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highApr 21UV 12Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in May Pen 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 May Pen is worst in June — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 17 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJun 2335 µg/m³Jan 1117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun35Poor
Jul34Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is May Pen?

May Pen sits at 18.0°N, 77.2°W, 81 m above sea level, in Jamaica. The nearest listed city is Old Harbour, 15 km away.

Old HarbourMandevilleLinsteadSpanish TownPortmorePort RoyalHalf Way TreeKingston

Topography around May Pen

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around May Pen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 100 m around an average of 74 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 734 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,229 m.

The land around May Pen is covered by trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 3 km, trees (68%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and water (51%) and trees (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
100 m
16 km
734 m
80 km
2,229 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Old Harbour 15 km · Mandeville 29 km · Linstead 30 km · Spanish Town 31 km · Portmore 38 km · Port Royal 43 km · Half Way Tree 47 km · Kingston 48 km

Jamaica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
110 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 60% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,003
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
49.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 65%none 21%other 7%Roman Catholic 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 May Pen (17.9645°, -77.2451°, elevation 81 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).