Liwonde weather in January

In January, Liwonde sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 279 mm of rain across 25.8 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of January to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Liwonde's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Liwonde's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
7th warmest
Overnight low
22°
10th coldest
Rainfall
279 mm
25.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 48 min
5:24 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
81%
12th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.51 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Liwonde is city in Malawi.

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 29°C through the month.

A typical January day in Liwonde reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12922
22922
32922
42922
52922
62922
72922
82922
92922
102922
112922
122922
132922
142922
152922
162922
172922
182922
192922
202922
212922
222922
232922
242922
252922
262922
272922
282922
292922
302922
312922

How January really feels in Liwonde

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 6 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
6
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Liwonde weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 22°27925.812.83.4
Feb29° / 22°19219.612.53.9
Mar29° / 21°13717.412.14.5
Apr29° / 19°285.511.76.5
May27° / 17°40.711.38.2
Jun25° / 15°20.411.18.7
Jul25° / 14°20.311.28.7
Aug27° / 16°10.411.58.3
Sep30° / 18°20.311.96.4
Oct32° / 21°142.412.34.7
Nov33° / 23°689.412.73.7
Dec30° / 22°18822.612.93.3

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 82%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12476
22377
32377
42377
52278
62278
72080
82080
91981
101981
111882
121882
131882
141882
151783
161783
171783
181684
191684
201684
211585
221585
231585
241585
251684
261684
271684
281783
291882
301882
311981

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Liwonde gets around 279 mm of rain over 25.8 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 82% and peaks near 84% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
181
281
381
481
581
681
781
881
982
1082
1182
1282
1382
1482
1583
1683
1783
1883
1984
2084
2184
2284
2384
2484
2584
2684
2783
2883
2982
3082
3181

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 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
113069
212970
312970
412970
512970
612970
712871
812871
922771
1022771
1112673
1212673
1312673
1412574
1512574
1612574
1712475
1812475
1912376
2012376
2112376
2212277
2312277
2412277
2512277
2612277
2712277
2812277
2912376
3012376
3112376

Wind in January

Winds average 5 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of January to 12 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:16 AM to 5:32 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:166:09
212.95:166:09
312.95:176:09
412.95:186:10
512.95:186:10
612.95:196:10
712.95:196:11
812.95:206:11
912.85:206:11
1012.85:216:11
1112.85:216:12
1212.85:226:12
1312.85:236:12
1412.85:236:12
1512.85:246:12
1612.85:246:12
1712.85:256:13
1812.85:256:13
1912.85:266:13
2012.85:276:13
2112.85:276:13
2212.85:286:13
2312.75:286:13
2412.75:296:13
2512.75:296:13
2612.75:306:13
2712.75:306:13
2812.75:316:13
2912.75:316:13
3012.75:326:13
3112.75:326:13

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.51 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.72 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 5.51 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Liwonde

In seasonPeak

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

Liwonde's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Liwonde?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.4
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Liwonde.

What to pack for Liwonde in January

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

In January, Liwonde sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Liwonde 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 Liwonde peaks around January 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 17UV 15Jun 20UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Liwonde 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 Liwonde is worst in August — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateAug 1746 µg/m³Dec 2014 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr25Moderate
May32Moderate
Jun36Poor
Jul41Poor
Aug46Poor
Sep42Poor
Oct28Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Liwonde?

Liwonde sits at 15.1°S, 35.2°E, 499 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Balaka, 31 km away.

MangochiNtcheuBlantyreMandimbaMwanzaUlongué

Topography around Liwonde

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Liwonde has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 63 m around an average of 488 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 808 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,804 m.

The land around Liwonde is covered by cropland (33%) and grassland (20%) within 3 km, shrubs (32%), cropland (32%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and cropland (47%) within 80 km.

3 km
63 m
16 km
808 m
80 km
1,804 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Balaka 31 km · Zomba 37 km · Mangochi 66 km · Ntcheu 69 km · Blantyre 83 km · Mandimba 92 km · Mwanza 96 km · Ulongué 100 km

Malawi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$672
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.8
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
33.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Protestant 34%other Christian 27%Roman Catholic 17%Muslim 14%

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 Liwonde (-15.0666°, 35.2254°, elevation 499 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).