Lamu weather in January

In January, Lamu sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 12 mm of rain across 1.4 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 11th-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 oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of January to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Lamu's 5th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lamu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
5th warmest
Overnight low
26°
7th coldest
Rainfall
12 mm
1.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:22 AM – 6:29 PM
Cloud cover
39%
5th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
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 Lamu reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How January really feels in Lamu

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.

Lamu weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 5th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°121.412.17.7
Feb28° / 26°20.412.17.7
Mar29° / 27°174.9126.6
Apr29° / 27°11620.9124.4
May28° / 26°22624.111.94.5
Jun27° / 25°8417.811.95.4
Jul26° / 24°5714.911.95.9
Aug26° / 24°3612.211.96.6
Sep26° / 25°3410.3127.0
Oct27° / 25°6512.812.16.4
Nov28° / 26°581312.16.1
Dec28° / 26°286.712.16.6

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 16% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 23%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18218
28119
38020
48020
58020
67921
77921
87921
97822
107723
117723
127723
137723
147723
157822
167822
177723
187723
197822
207822
217723
227723
237723
247624
257624
267624
277525
287426
297426
307426
317426

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Lamu gets around 12 mm of rain over 1.4 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 4% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
26
36
46
56
66
76
85
95
105
115
125
135
145
154
164
174
184
194
204
214
224
234
244
253
263
273
283
293
303
313

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
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
18119
28218
38218
48317
58416
68416
78515
88614
98614
108713
118812
128911
139010
149010
15919
16928
17928
18928
19937
20937
21937
22937
23937
24937
25937
26937
27946
28946
29946
30946
31946

Wind in January

Winds average 22 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 21 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
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of January to 12 h 06 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 6:16 AM to 6:27 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 6:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.16:166:23
212.16:166:24
312.16:176:24
412.16:176:25
512.16:186:25
612.16:186:26
712.16:186:26
812.16:196:26
912.16:196:27
1012.16:206:27
1112.16:206:28
1212.16:216:28
1312.16:216:28
1412.16:216:29
1512.16:226:29
1612.16:226:29
1712.16:236:30
1812.16:236:30
1912.16:236:30
2012.16:246:30
2112.16:246:31
2212.16:246:31
2312.16:256:31
2412.16:256:31
2512.16:256:32
2612.16:256:32
2712.16:266:32
2812.16:266:32
2912.16:266:32
3012.16:276:33
3112.16:276:33

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.85 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.32 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.4Intense
246.4Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.5Intense
286.5Intense
296.5Intense
306.5Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Lamu

In seasonPeak

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

Lamu's monsoon runs April–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Lamu?

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

7.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.6
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Lamu for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Lamu in January

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

In January, Lamu sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker.

light clothessun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Lamu 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 offshore is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar28Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Warm
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Lamu in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lamu peaks around March 22 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 22UV 15Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Lamu 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 Lamu is worst in January — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (October, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodJan 1917 µg/m³Oct 246 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr6Good
May9Good
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug9Good
Sep8Good
Oct6Good
Nov6Good
Dec13Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lamu?

Lamu sits at 2.3°S, 40.9°E, 14 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Masalani, 104 km away.

MasalaniKaambooniHolaMalindiWatamuKilifiMtwapaMariakani

Topography around Lamu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lamu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 51 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 143 m.

The land around Lamu is covered by grassland (31%), water (27%) and shrubs (24%) within 3 km, water (52%) within 16 km, and water (38%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
51 m
16 km
72 m
80 km
143 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Masalani 104 km · Kaambooni 104 km · Hola 130 km · Malindi 137 km · Watamu 155 km · Kilifi 191 km · Mtwapa 225 km · Mariakani 238 km

Kenya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,363
2025
Happiness
4.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
28.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 593
Religion
Christian 86%Muslim 11%other 2%none 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 Lamu (-2.2717°, 40.902°, elevation 14 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. 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).