Kiffa weather in January

In January, Kiffa sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 1 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of January to 11 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Kiffa's 8th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kiffa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
12th warmest
Overnight low
17°
1st coldest
Rainfall
1 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
7:22 AM – 6:28 PM
Cloud cover
41%
8th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Kiffa is commune of Mauritania.

Density
53/km²
people per km²

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 30°C through the month.

A typical January day in Kiffa reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and about 3°C cooler than February.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13017
23017
33017
43017
53017
63017
73017
83017
93017
103017
113017
123017
133017
143017
153017
163017
173017
183017
193017
203017
213017
223017
233117
243117
253117
263117
273117
283118
293118
303118
313118

How January really feels in Kiffa

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.

Kiffa weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 17°10.211.16.2
Feb33° / 19°00.111.44.4
Mar37° / 23°00.111.92.1
Apr40° / 27°0012.40.1
May42° / 30°10.312.80.0
Jun41° / 31°41130.0
Jul38° / 29°21412.91.2
Aug36° / 27°628.212.62.2
Sep37° / 27°376.412.11.6
Oct39° / 27°112.111.60.9
Nov36° / 22°10.211.22.8
Dec31° / 18°20.2115.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16139
26139
36139
46238
56139
66238
76238
86337
96337
106436
116436
126535
136535
146535
156535
166634
176634
186634
196733
206733
216733
226832
236832
246832
256931
266931
276931
287030
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Kiffa gets around 1 mm of rain over 0.2 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 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
10
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

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 (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in January

Winds average 18 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of January to 11 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:18 AM to 7:21 AM, and sunset from 6:20 PM to 6:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.07:186:20
211.07:186:20
311.07:196:21
411.07:196:21
511.07:196:22
611.07:206:22
711.17:206:23
811.17:206:23
911.17:206:24
1011.17:216:25
1111.17:216:25
1211.17:216:26
1311.17:216:26
1411.17:216:27
1511.17:226:28
1611.17:226:28
1711.17:226:29
1811.17:226:29
1911.17:226:30
2011.17:226:30
2111.27:226:31
2211.27:226:32
2311.27:226:32
2411.27:226:33
2511.27:226:33
2611.27:226:34
2711.27:226:34
2811.27:226:35
2911.27:226:35
3011.27:216:36
3111.37:216:37

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.09 kWh/m² to a high of 7.44 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 5.32 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.1Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.2Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.5Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Kiffa

In seasonPeak

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

Kiffa sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.

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

Is January a good time to visit Kiffa?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Kiffa in January

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

In January, Kiffa sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Kiffa in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kiffa peaks around March 19 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highMar 19UV 13Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in Kiffa 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 Kiffa is worst in January — around 133 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.6× the cleanest month (September, 37 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorUnhealthyJan 17132 µg/m³Sep 1037 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan133Unhealthy
Feb123Unhealthy
Mar93Unhealthy
Apr73Unhealthy
May74Unhealthy
Jun91Unhealthy
Jul67Unhealthy
Aug38Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct55Poor
Nov68Unhealthy
Dec121Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Kiffa?

Kiffa sits at 16.6°N, 11.4°W, 127 m above sea level, in Mauritania. The nearest listed city is Guerou, 85 km away.

GuerouEl ’AyoûnṬinṭâneElghabraSélibabyAyoun El AtrousMagṭa‘ LaḥjarMatam

Topography around Kiffa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kiffa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 73 m around an average of 125 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 84 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 584 m.

The land around Kiffa is covered by bare terrain (43%) and grassland (37%) within 3 km, grassland (74%) and bare terrain (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (75%) and bare terrain (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
73 m
16 km
84 m
80 km
584 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrain
January weather nearby: Guerou 85 km · El ’Ayoûn 121 km · Ṭinṭâne 133 km · Elghabra 135 km · Sélibaby 183 km · Ayoun El Atrous 190 km · Magṭa‘ Laḥjar 205 km · Matam 225 km

Mauritania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,198
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
1
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
25.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 100%

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 Kiffa (16.6207°, -11.4021°, elevation 127 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).