Makindu weather in January

In January, Makindu sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 51 mm of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-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 40% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Makindu's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Makindu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
6th warmest
Overnight low
19°
6th coldest
Rainfall
51 mm
9.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:34 AM – 6:42 PM
Cloud cover
51%
3rd clearest
Wind
8 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
6.15 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Makindu is place in Makueni County, Kenya.

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 Makindu reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12819
22819
32819
42819
52819
62819
72819
82819
92819
102819
112819
122819
132819
142819
152819
162819
172819
182819
192819
202819
212919
222919
232919
242919
252919
262919
272919
282919
292919
302919
312919

Makindu weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 19°519.512.16.1
Feb30° / 19°346.412.15.6
Mar30° / 20°6913.6124.7
Apr29° / 20°9218.5124.5
May28° / 19°418.411.96.4
Jun27° / 18°4111.97.4
Jul27° / 17°20.611.97.5
Aug27° / 17°30.711.97.5
Sep29° / 17°30.9126.8
Oct29° / 18°33712.15.6
Nov28° / 19°12221.112.14.6
Dec27° / 19°9919.712.15.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26535
36535
46535
56535
66436
76436
86337
96337
106337
116238
126337
136337
146337
156337
166337
176535
186535
196535
206535
216535
226634
236634
246634
256634
266733
276634
286634
296733
306733
316634

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Makindu gets around 51 mm of rain over 9.5 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 31% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
144
243
341
440
539
638
737
836
936
1035
1134
1233
1333
1432
1531
1630
1729
1829
1928
2028
2127
2226
2326
2425
2524
2623
2723
2822
2922
3021
3121

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 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 23% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1295435
2295534
32105533
42105632
52105731
62105830
72115730
82115829
92115928
102125828
112125927
122135926
132136025
142146024
152146123
163156022
173156022
183166021
193176020
203185920
213186019
223196018
233205918
243215917
253225817
264235716
274235815
284245715
294255615
304265614
315275414

Wind in January

Winds average 8 km/h in January.

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.

051015151015202531
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 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 6:28 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 6:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.16:286:36
212.16:286:36
312.16:296:37
412.16:296:37
512.16:306:37
612.16:306:38
712.16:316:38
812.16:316:39
912.16:326:39
1012.16:326:39
1112.16:326:40
1212.16:336:40
1312.16:336:41
1412.16:346:41
1512.16:346:41
1612.16:346:42
1712.16:356:42
1812.16:356:42
1912.16:366:42
2012.16:366:43
2112.16:366:43
2212.16:376:43
2312.16:376:44
2412.16:376:44
2512.16:386:44
2612.16:386:44
2712.16:386:44
2812.16:386:45
2912.16:396:45
3012.16:396:45
3112.16:396:45

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.15 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.62 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.15 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
86.0Bright
96.0Bright
106.0Bright
116.0Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.4Intense
266.4Intense
276.4Intense
286.4Intense
296.5Intense
306.5Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Makindu

In seasonPeak

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

Makindu's rainy season runs March–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 Makindu?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Makindu in January

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

In January, Makindu sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

UV index in Makindu 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 Makindu peaks around March 18 at about 16 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeExtremeMar 18UV 16Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Makindu 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 Makindu is worst in December — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 2317 µg/m³Oct 139 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct9Good
Nov12Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Makindu?

Makindu sits at 2.3°S, 37.8°E, 993 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Emali, 44 km away.

KinoiTarakeaKituiMachakosMwala

Topography around Makindu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Makindu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 m around an average of 986 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 679 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,745 m.

The land around Makindu is covered by cropland (35%), grassland (30%) and shrubs (26%) within 3 km, shrubs (46%), cropland (22%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and shrubs (50%) and grassland (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
72 m
16 km
679 m
80 km
1,745 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Emali 44 km · Makueni Boma 57 km · Wote 59 km · Kinoi 85 km · Tarakea 85 km · Kitui 104 km · Machakos 104 km · Mwala 111 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 Makindu (-2.2781°, 37.8187°, elevation 993 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).