Mwala weather in January

In January, Mwala sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 40 mm of rain across 9.3 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 Mwala's 2nd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mwala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
4th warmest
Overnight low
17°
5th coldest
Rainfall
40 mm
9.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:37 AM – 6:42 PM
Cloud cover
50%
2nd clearest
Wind
7 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.29 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Mwala reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and about 2°C cooler than February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12617
22617
32617
42617
52717
62717
72717
82717
92717
102717
112717
122717
132717
142717
152717
162717
172717
182717
192717
202717
212717
222717
232717
242817
252817
262817
272817
282817
292817
302817
312817

Mwala weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 17°409.312.16.8
Feb29° / 18°246.4126.1
Mar28° / 19°7014.3125.4
Apr27° / 19°10920.5124.9
May26° / 18°4010.511.96.6
Jun25° / 16°61.511.97.7
Jul24° / 15°20.411.97.9
Aug25° / 16°30.8127.8
Sep27° / 16°30.7127.8
Oct28° / 18°338126.7
Nov26° / 18°15522.212.14.8
Dec26° / 17°8017.612.15.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 36%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56436
66337
76337
86337
96337
106238
116238
126238
136238
146337
156337
166337
176436
186436
196436
206436
216535
226535
236535
246535
256634
266634
276634
286733
296634
306634
316634

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mwala gets around 40 mm of rain over 9.3 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 30% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
237
336
436
535
635
735
835
935
1034
1134
1233
1333
1432
1531
1631
1730
1829
1929
2028
2127
2226
2326
2425
2524
2623
2722
2822
2921
3021
3120

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 48% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1631594
2632584
3633565
4634555
5734545
6735535
7735535
8735535
9836515
10836515
11836515
12836515
13936514
14936514
15937504
161037504
171037494
181037494
191138483
201138473
211239463
221240453
231340433
241441423
251441414
261542394
271643384
281744364
291744354
301845344
311845334

Wind in January

Winds average 7 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 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
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
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 6:31 AM to 6:42 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)
112.16:316:36
212.16:316:36
312.16:326:37
412.16:326:37
512.16:336:37
612.16:336:38
712.16:346:38
812.16:346:39
912.16:356:39
1012.16:356:39
1112.16:356:40
1212.16:366:40
1312.16:366:41
1412.16:376:41
1512.16:376:41
1612.16:376:42
1712.16:386:42
1812.16:386:42
1912.16:386:43
2012.16:396:43
2112.16:396:43
2212.16:396:43
2312.16:406:44
2412.16:406:44
2512.16:406:44
2612.16:416:44
2712.16:416:45
2812.16:416:45
2912.16:416:45
3012.16:426:45
3112.16:426:45

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.29 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.71 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.29 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Intense
46.0Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.4Intense
226.4Intense
236.5Intense
246.5Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.5Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.6Intense
316.6Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Mwala

In seasonPeak

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

Mwala's rainy season runs April–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 Mwala?

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

6.8
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.9
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mwala in January

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

In January, Mwala sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

UV index in Mwala 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 Mwala peaks around March 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 16UV 16Jun 17UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mwala 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 Mwala is worst in December — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (October, 13 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateDec 2129 µg/m³Oct 913 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan28Moderate
Feb24Moderate
Mar23Moderate
Apr25Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov22Moderate
Dec29Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Mwala?

Mwala sits at 1.4°S, 37.5°E, 1,256 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Machakos, 28 km away.

Topography around Mwala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mwala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 140 m around an average of 1,247 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 806 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,520 m.

The land around Mwala is covered by cropland (50%) and shrubs (27%) within 3 km, shrubs (41%) and cropland (34%) within 16 km, and shrubs (42%), grassland (25%) and cropland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
140 m
16 km
806 m
80 km
1,520 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Machakos 28 km · Kinoi 35 km · Wote 51 km · Githunguri 52 km · Makueni Boma 54 km · Athi River 54 km · Thika 56 km · Juja 56 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 Mwala (-1.3525°, 37.4548°, elevation 1,256 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).