Tarawa weather in January

In January, Tarawa sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 211 mm of rain across 17.8 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-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 19% 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 Tarawa's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tarawa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
9th warmest
Overnight low
26°
5th coldest
Rainfall
211 mm
17.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:39 AM – 6:35 PM
Cloud cover
70%
12th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
5.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
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 Tarawa reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 1°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)
12827
22827
32827
42827
52827
62827
72827
82827
92827
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 Tarawa

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.

Tarawa weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 9th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°21117.811.95.1
Feb28° / 26°15614.8125.3
Mar28° / 26°22120.5124.9
Apr28° / 26°20622124.5
May28° / 27°14319.812.14.8
Jun28° / 27°13919.112.14.7
Jul28° / 26°13418.812.14.9
Aug28° / 27°11215.6125.4
Sep28° / 27°8913.9125.5
Oct28° / 27°9112.8125.6
Nov28° / 27°9312.911.95.5
Dec28° / 27°18517.711.95.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23664
33565
43565
53565
63466
73466
83466
93466
103367
113367
123565
133466
143565
153565
163565
173565
183565
193664
203664
213664
223664
233565
243565
253664
263664
273664
283565
293565
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Tarawa gets around 211 mm of rain over 17.8 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 57% and peaks near 58% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
156
256
356
456
556
656
756
857
957
1057
1158
1258
1358
1458
1558
1658
1758
1858
1958
2058
2158
2258
2358
2457
2557
2657
2756
2856
2955
3055
3154

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 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
105149
205248
305248
405347
515247
615346
715346
815445
915445
1015445
1115544
1215544
1315643
1415643
1515643
1615742
1715742
1815742
1915742
2015742
2115742
2215742
2315742
2415742
2515643
2605743
2705743
2805644
2905644
3005644
3115445

Wind in January

Winds average 20 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120light breeze
220breezy
320light breeze
420light breeze
520light breeze
620light breeze
720light breeze
820light breeze
920light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420breezy
2520breezy
2620breezy
2720breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

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 6:34 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 6:29 PM to 6:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:346:29
211.96:346:29
311.96:346:30
411.96:356:30
511.96:356:31
611.96:366:31
711.96:366:32
811.96:366:32
911.96:376:33
1011.96:376:33
1111.96:386:33
1211.96:386:34
1311.96:386:34
1411.96:396:35
1511.96:396:35
1611.96:396:35
1711.96:406:36
1811.96:406:36
1911.96:406:36
2011.96:416:37
2111.96:416:37
2211.96:416:37
2311.96:426:38
2411.96:426:38
2511.96:426:38
2611.96:426:39
2711.96:426:39
2811.96:436:39
2911.96:436:39
3011.96:436:39
3111.96:436:40

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.83 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in September across the year — January's 5.83 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Tarawa?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.5
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Tarawa for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tarawa in January

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

In January, Tarawa sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Tarawa 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 offshore is warmest in July at about 29°C and coldest in February near 28°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
Jan29Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Tarawa 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 Tarawa peaks around March 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 12 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 14UV 16Jun 22UV 12
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Tarawa?

Tarawa sits at 1.3°N, 173.0°E, 6 m above sea level, in Kiribati. The nearest listed city is Dalap-Uliga-Dorrit, 664 km away.

Topography around Tarawa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tarawa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 9 m around an average of 0 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 12 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m.

The land around Tarawa is covered by water (98%) within 3 km, water (99%) within 16 km, and water (100%) within 80 km.

3 km
9 m
16 km
12 m
80 km
16 m
grasslandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Dalap-Uliga-Dorrit 664 km · Majuro 665 km · Yaren 705 km · Funafuti 1,294 km · Palikir 1,756 km · Malango 1,865 km · Panatina 1,870 km · Vura 1,872 km

Kiribati travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,559
2025
Safe drinking water
15%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
7.1
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
1.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Roman Catholic 59%Kiribati Uniting Church 21%Kiribati Protestant Church 8%Church of Jesus Christ 6%

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 Tarawa (1.3278°, 172.977°, elevation 6 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).