Mohale's Hoek weather in January

In January, Mohale's Hoek sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 137 mm of rain across 14.7 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 1st-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 51% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of January to 13 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Mohale's Hoek's 11th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mohale's Hoek's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
1st warmest
Overnight low
14°
12th coldest
Rainfall
137 mm
14.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:27 AM – 7:12 PM
Cloud cover
43%
11th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
7.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Mohale's Hoek is human settlement.

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 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Mohale's Hoek reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 1°C warmer than February.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12713
22713
32713
42713
52713
62713
72713
82713
92713
102713
112713
122713
132714
142714
152714
162714
172714
182714
192714
202714
212714
222714
232714
242714
252714
262714
272714
282714
292714
302714
312714

How January really feels in Mohale's Hoek

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.

Mohale's Hoek weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 14°13714.7013.76.1
Feb26° / 13°11813.3013.16.2
Mar24° / 11°11412.7012.26.8
Apr21° / 749.1011.37.0
May18° / 334.60.210.57.1
Jun15° / -1°213.70.410.15.9
Jul15° / -1°173.30.610.36.0
Aug18° / 294.30.510.97.2
Sep22° / 284.30.111.88.0
Oct24° / 879.3012.77.5
Nov25° / 10°11210.8013.57.0
Dec27° / 12°13713.4013.96.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% 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 25%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37624
47624
57624
67624
77624
87624
97624
107624
117723
127723
137723
147624
157624
167624
177525
187525
197525
207426
217426
227426
237327
247327
257327
267327
277327
287327
297327
307426
317525

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mohale's Hoek gets around 137 mm of rain over 14.7 wet days in January, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 47% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
243
344
444
544
644
744
844
944
1045
1145
1245
1346
1446
1547
1647
1748
1848
1949
2049
2149
2250
2350
2451
2551
2651
2751
2850
2950
3049
3149

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 59% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
166313
266313
365323
465323
565323
664333
764333
864333
964333
1063343
1163343
1262353
1361354
1460364
1560364
1659374
1757385
1857385
1956395
2056395
2155405
2255405
2353416
2453416
2553416
2653416
2753416
2854406
2954406
3055405
3155405

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
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
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 54 min at the start of January to 13 h 30 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 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:11 PM to 7:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:167:11
213.95:177:11
313.95:177:11
413.95:187:11
513.95:197:11
613.95:197:12
713.95:207:12
813.95:217:12
913.85:227:12
1013.85:227:12
1113.85:237:12
1213.85:247:12
1313.85:257:12
1413.85:257:12
1513.85:267:12
1613.75:277:12
1713.75:287:12
1813.75:297:11
1913.75:297:11
2013.75:307:11
2113.75:317:11
2213.65:327:11
2313.65:337:10
2413.65:347:10
2513.65:357:10
2613.65:357:09
2713.55:367:09
2813.55:377:09
2913.55:387:08
3013.55:397:08
3113.55:407:07

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.44 kWh/m² to a high of 7.75 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.4 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.7Intense
27.7Intense
37.7Intense
47.7Intense
57.7Intense
67.6Intense
77.6Intense
87.6Intense
97.6Intense
107.6Intense
117.6Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.4Intense
187.4Intense
197.4Intense
207.3Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.3Intense
247.2Intense
257.2Intense
267.2Intense
277.2Intense
287.2Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Mohale's Hoek

In seasonPeak

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

Mohale's Hoek's rainy season runs October–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 Mohale's Hoek?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mohale's Hoek in January

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

In January, Mohale's Hoek sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 14°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Mohale's Hoek 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 Mohale's Hoek peaks around January 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 13UV 15Jun 23UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep8Very high
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Mohale's Hoek 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 Mohale's Hoek is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1217 µg/m³Dec 225 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb7Good
Mar9Good
Apr11Good
May14Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mohale's Hoek?

Mohale's Hoek sits at 30.2°S, 27.5°E, 1,598 m above sea level, in Lesotho. The nearest listed city is Quthing, 35 km away.

QuthingZastronMafetengMaseruMaboteLadybrandTeyateyaneng

Topography around Mohale's Hoek

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mohale's Hoek.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mohale's Hoek has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m around an average of 1,665 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,226 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,772 m.

The land around Mohale's Hoek is covered by grassland (66%) within 3 km, grassland (73%) within 16 km, and grassland (85%) within 80 km.

3 km
657 m
16 km
1,226 m
80 km
1,772 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
January weather nearby: Quthing 35 km · Zastron 41 km · Mafeteng 43 km · Maseru 93 km · Aliwal North 95 km · Mabote 97 km · Ladybrand 106 km · Teyateyaneng 115 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 Mohale's Hoek (-30.1514°, 27.4769°, elevation 1,598 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).