Hlotse weather in January

In January, Hlotse sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 152 mm of rain across 16.6 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 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

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 Hlotse's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hlotse's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
1st warmest
Overnight low
14°
12th coldest
Rainfall
152 mm
16.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:27 AM – 7:07 PM
Cloud cover
48%
11th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
7.12 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Hlotse is city.

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 26°C through the month.

A typical January day in Hlotse reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12614
22614
32614
42614
52614
62614
72614
82614
92614
102614
112614
122614
132614
142614
152614
162614
172614
182614
192614
202614
212614
222614
232614
242614
252614
262614
272614
282614
292614
302614
312614

How January really feels in Hlotse

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.

Hlotse 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 14°15216.613.65.9
Feb25° / 14°11213.6136.2
Mar24° / 12°11113.312.26.7
Apr21° / 708.811.37.0
May19° / 334.210.67.4
Jun16° / -0°172.410.26.5
Jul16° / -1°91.710.36.6
Aug19° / 253.7117.6
Sep22° / 274.211.88.2
Oct24° / 10010.712.77.2
Nov25° / 11°13812.813.46.6
Dec26° / 13°16016.613.86.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 27% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16931
26931
36931
47030
57030
67129
77129
87228
97228
107228
117228
127228
137228
147228
157228
167228
177228
187129
197129
207129
217129
227030
237030
247030
257030
267030
277030
287129
297129
307129
317228

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Hlotse gets around 152 mm of rain over 16.6 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 53% and peaks near 56% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
156
256
356
455
555
654
753
853
952
1051
1151
1251
1351
1451
1551
1652
1752
1852
1952
2053
2153
2253
2354
2454
2554
2654
2753
2853
2952
3051
3151

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 51% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
146495
245495
345505
445505
544515
644515
744515
845505
945505
1045505
1145506
1244506
1344506
1444507
1543507
1642508
1742508
1841509
1940519
20395110
21395110
22385111
23375211
24375211
25375211
26365311
27375211
28375211
29375310
30375310
3137549

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 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
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 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 5:17 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:05 PM to 7:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:177:05
213.85:177:06
313.85:187:06
413.85:197:06
513.85:197:06
613.85:207:06
713.85:217:07
813.85:217:07
913.75:227:07
1013.75:237:07
1113.75:247:07
1213.75:247:07
1313.75:257:07
1413.75:267:07
1513.75:277:07
1613.75:277:07
1713.65:287:07
1813.65:297:07
1913.65:307:06
2013.65:317:06
2113.65:317:06
2213.65:327:06
2313.55:337:06
2413.55:347:05
2513.55:357:05
2613.55:367:05
2713.55:367:04
2813.45:377:04
2913.45:387:04
3013.45:397:03
3113.45:407:03

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.12 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.68 kWh/m² to a high of 7.34 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.12 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.3Intense
37.3Intense
47.3Intense
57.3Intense
67.3Intense
77.3Intense
87.3Intense
97.3Intense
107.3Intense
117.3Intense
127.3Intense
137.2Intense
147.2Intense
157.2Intense
167.2Intense
177.1Intense
187.1Intense
197.1Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
227.0Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
256.9Intense
266.9Intense
276.9Intense
286.9Intense
296.9Intense
306.9Intense
316.9Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Hlotse

In seasonPeak

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

Hlotse'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 Hlotse?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
5.7
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Hlotse for sightseeing.

What to pack for Hlotse in January

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

In January, Hlotse sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 14°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 17 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Hlotse 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 Hlotse peaks around January 14 at about 15 (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 15Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Hlotse 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 Hlotse is worst in August — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1222 µg/m³Dec 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Hlotse?

Hlotse sits at 28.9°S, 28.0°E, 1,645 m above sea level, in Lesotho. The nearest listed city is Maputsoe, 14 km away.

MaputsoeFicksburgButha-ButheFouriesburgTeyateyanengHlohlolwaneMarquardLadybrand

Topography around Hlotse

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Hlotse has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 m around an average of 1,599 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 647 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,939 m.

The land around Hlotse is covered by cropland (37%) and grassland (36%) within 3 km, cropland (45%) and grassland (44%) within 16 km, and grassland (72%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
253 m
16 km
647 m
80 km
1,939 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Maputsoe 14 km · Ficksburg 17 km · Butha-Buthe 23 km · Fouriesburg 32 km · Teyateyaneng 42 km · Hlohlolwane 47 km · Marquard 64 km · Ladybrand 67 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 Hlotse (-28.8718°, 28.045°, elevation 1,645 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).