Sirte weather in January

In January, Sirte sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 35 mm of rain across 6.6 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 hours at the start of January to 10 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Sirte's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sirte's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
12th warmest
Overnight low
13°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
35 mm
6.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
7:58 AM – 6:08 PM
Cloud cover
37%
11th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.38 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Sirte is coastal city in Libya.

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 17°C through the month.

A typical January day in Sirte reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 20°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and on par with February.

10°13°15°18°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11713
21713
31713
41713
51713
61713
71713
81713
91713
101713
111713
121713
131713
141713
151713
161713
171713
181712
191712
201712
211712
221712
231712
241712
251712
261712
271712
281712
291712
301712
311712

Sirte weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 13°356.610.26.2
Feb17° / 13°224.610.96.7
Mar19° / 14°132.411.87.7
Apr21° / 16°41.112.78.4
May24° / 19°30.513.69.1
Jun26° / 22°10.1149.1
Jul28° / 24°0013.88.6
Aug29° / 25°00.113.17.7
Sep29° / 24°40.812.27.8
Oct26° / 22°142.611.28.3
Nov22° / 18°163.410.48.1
Dec18° / 14°306106.9

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% 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 22%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37822
47822
57822
67822
77822
87723
97723
107723
117723
127624
137723
147723
157723
167723
177723
187822
197822
207921
218020
228020
238020
248020
258020
268020
278020
287921
297921
307921
317921

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Sirte gets around 35 mm of rain over 6.6 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 21% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
425
525
624
724
824
924
1023
1123
1222
1322
1422
1521
1621
1721
1820
1920
2020
2119
2219
2319
2418
2518
2618
2718
2818
2918
3018
3118

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1982
2982
3982
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in January

Winds average 21 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2121breezy
2221breezy
2321breezy
2421breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 hours at the start of January to 10 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:57 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 5:57 PM to 6:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.07:575:57
210.07:575:58
310.07:575:58
410.07:575:59
510.07:576:00
610.07:586:00
710.17:586:01
810.17:586:02
910.17:586:03
1010.17:586:03
1110.17:586:04
1210.17:586:05
1310.17:586:06
1410.17:586:07
1510.27:586:07
1610.27:586:08
1710.27:576:09
1810.27:576:10
1910.27:576:11
2010.27:576:12
2110.37:576:13
2210.37:566:13
2310.37:566:14
2410.37:566:15
2510.37:556:16
2610.47:556:17
2710.47:556:18
2810.47:546:19
2910.47:546:20
3010.57:536:20
3110.57:536:21

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.38 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.96 kWh/m² to a high of 7.57 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 3.38 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.0Moderate
23.1Moderate
33.1Moderate
43.1Moderate
53.1Moderate
63.1Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.4Moderate
193.4Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.5Moderate
223.5Moderate
233.6Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.7Moderate
283.7Moderate
293.7Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Sirte

In seasonPeak

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

Sirte sees seasonal dust haze (March–June), heaviest in April.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Sirte?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
1.4
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Sirte for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sirte in January

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

In January, Sirte sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and a windbreaker. About 7 days see rain.

a warm layera windbreaker

Sea temperature near Sirte in January

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in March near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 19 to Dec 16 — about 7 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr18Cool
May20Cool
Jun23Refreshing
Jul26Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct25Warm
Nov23Refreshing
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Sirte in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sirte peaks around August 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateAug 12UV 10Jan 11UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar7High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct7High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Sirte 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 Sirte is worst in April — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.6× the cleanest month (August, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateModerateGoodModerateApr 1336 µg/m³Aug 98 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan30Moderate
Feb29Moderate
Mar32Moderate
Apr37Poor
May26Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul8Good
Aug8Good
Sep12Good
Oct20Moderate
Nov24Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sirte?

Sirte sits at 31.2°N, 16.6°E, 17 m above sea level, in Libya. The nearest listed city is Bin Jawwād, 149 km away.

Bin JawwādMisratahZlitenHūnBani WalidAl KhumsMsalātahAl-'Alūaṣ

Topography around Sirte

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sirte has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 42 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 84 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 218 m.

The land around Sirte is covered by water (44%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 3 km, water (48%) and bare terrain (27%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (61%) and water (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
42 m
16 km
84 m
80 km
218 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Bin Jawwād 149 km · Misratah 192 km · Zliten 237 km · Hūn 240 km · Bani Walid 254 km · Al Khums 272 km · Msalātah 285 km · Al-'Alūaṣ 298 km

Libya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 39% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,449
2025
Happiness
5.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Road deaths
21.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 395
Religion
Muslim 97%Christian 3%

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 Sirte (31.2089°, 16.5887°, elevation 17 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. 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).