Butha-Buthe weather in January

In January, Butha-Buthe sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 139 mm of rain across 18.1 wet days and about 13.6 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of January to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Butha-Buthe's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Butha-Buthe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
1st warmest
Overnight low
13°
12th coldest
Rainfall
139 mm
18.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
5:27 AM – 7:06 PM
Cloud cover
49%
11th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
7.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Butha-Buthe is city in Lesotho.

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 24°C through the month.

A typical January day in Butha-Buthe reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12413
22413
32413
42413
52413
62413
72413
82413
92413
102413
112413
122413
132413
142413
152413
162413
172413
182413
192413
202413
212413
222413
232413
242413
252413
262413
272413
282413
292413
302413
312413

How January really feels in Butha-Buthe

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.

Butha-Buthe weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 13°13918.1013.65.9
Feb24° / 12°10414.80136.2
Mar22° / 11°9613.7012.26.5
Apr20° / 628.60.111.36.8
May17° / 294.10.210.66.9
Jun15° / -1°162.50.510.25.7
Jul14° / -1°101.90.610.45.7
Aug17° / 273.80.4116.9
Sep20° / 284.70.211.87.7
Oct22° / 9410.9012.76.9
Nov23° / 10°12613.6013.46.4
Dec24° / 12°14017.2013.86.0

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 30% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16832
26931
37030
47030
57030
67030
77030
87129
97129
107129
117129
127129
137129
147129
157129
167129
177030
187030
197030
206931
216931
226832
236832
246832
256832
266832
276832
286931
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Butha-Buthe gets around 139 mm of rain over 18.1 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 58% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
259
359
459
559
658
758
857
957
1057
1156
1256
1357
1457
1557
1657
1758
1858
1958
2059
2159
2259
2359
2459
2559
2659
2758
2858
2957
3057
3156

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 69% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
176240
276240
376240
475250
575250
675250
775250
874260
974260
1074260
1173270
1272280
1372280
1471290
1570300
1669310
1768320
1867330
1966331
2065341
2164351
2264351
2363361
2463361
2563361
2663361
2763361
2864351
2964351
3065341
3165341

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
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of January to 13 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:16 AM to 5:39 AM, and sunset from 7:04 PM to 7:02 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:167:04
213.85:177:05
313.85:177:05
413.85:187:05
513.85:197:05
613.85:197:05
713.85:207:06
813.75:217:06
913.75:227:06
1013.75:227:06
1113.75:237:06
1213.75:247:06
1313.75:257:06
1413.75:257:06
1513.75:267:06
1613.65:277:06
1713.65:287:06
1813.65:287:06
1913.65:297:05
2013.65:307:05
2113.65:317:05
2213.65:327:05
2313.55:327:05
2413.55:337:04
2513.55:347:04
2613.55:357:04
2713.55:367:03
2813.45:377:03
2913.45:377:03
3013.45:387:02
3113.45:397:02

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.03 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.72 kWh/m² to a high of 7.3 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.03 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.3Intense
37.3Intense
47.3Intense
57.2Intense
67.2Intense
77.2Intense
87.2Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.1Intense
157.1Intense
167.1Intense
177.0Intense
187.0Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
216.9Intense
226.9Intense
236.9Intense
246.9Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Butha-Buthe

In seasonPeak

In January, Butha-Buthe sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Butha-Buthe's rainy season runs October–March, 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 Butha-Buthe?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Butha-Buthe for sightseeing.

What to pack for Butha-Buthe in January

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

In January, Butha-Buthe sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 18 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Butha-Buthe in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 16 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Butha-Buthe peaks around January 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 16Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec15Extreme

Air quality in Butha-Buthe 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 Butha-Buthe is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1227 µg/m³Dec 227 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug27Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Butha-Buthe?

Butha-Buthe sits at 28.8°S, 28.2°E, 1,716 m above sea level, in Lesotho. The nearest listed city is Fouriesburg, 17 km away.

FouriesburgHlotseMaputsoeFicksburgPhuthaditjhabaTeyateyanengHlohlolwane

Topography around Butha-Buthe

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Butha-Buthe has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 m around an average of 1,719 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,072 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,144 m.

The land around Butha-Buthe is covered by grassland (39%) and cropland (37%) within 3 km, grassland (60%) and cropland (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (73%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
305 m
16 km
1,072 m
80 km
2,144 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Fouriesburg 17 km · Hlotse 23 km · Maputsoe 37 km · Ficksburg 38 km · Bethlehem 60 km · Phuthaditjhaba 61 km · Teyateyaneng 65 km · Hlohlolwane 68 km

Lesotho travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,089
2025
Happiness
4.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
38.2
per 100k, 2008
Road deaths
31.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 48%Roman Catholic 39%other Christian 9%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 Butha-Buthe (-28.7666°, 28.2494°, elevation 1,716 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).