Zihuatanejo weather in January
In January, Zihuatanejo sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 11 mm of rain across 1.1 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.
Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Zihuatanejo's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zihuatanejo's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 28°
- 11th warmest
- Overnight low
- 19°
- 1st coldest
- Rainfall
- 11 mm
- 1.1 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 06 min
- 7:24 AM – 6:27 PM
- Cloud cover
- 31%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 5 km/h
- 6th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.11 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.4
- out of 10
Zihuatanejo is municipal seat of Zihuatanejo, State of Guerrero, Mexico.
- Founded
- 1520
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.
A typical January day in Zihuatanejo reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 19 |
| 2 | 28 | 19 |
| 3 | 28 | 19 |
| 4 | 28 | 19 |
| 5 | 28 | 19 |
| 6 | 28 | 19 |
| 7 | 28 | 19 |
| 8 | 28 | 19 |
| 9 | 28 | 19 |
| 10 | 28 | 19 |
| 11 | 28 | 19 |
| 12 | 28 | 19 |
| 13 | 28 | 19 |
| 14 | 28 | 19 |
| 15 | 28 | 19 |
| 16 | 28 | 19 |
| 17 | 28 | 19 |
| 18 | 28 | 19 |
| 19 | 28 | 19 |
| 20 | 28 | 19 |
| 21 | 28 | 19 |
| 22 | 28 | 19 |
| 23 | 28 | 19 |
| 24 | 28 | 19 |
| 25 | 28 | 19 |
| 26 | 28 | 19 |
| 27 | 28 | 19 |
| 28 | 28 | 19 |
| 29 | 28 | 19 |
| 30 | 29 | 19 |
| 31 | 29 | 19 |
How January really feels in Zihuatanejo
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.
January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Zihuatanejo weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 11th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 19° | 11 | 1.1 | 11.1 | 7.4 |
| Feb | 29° / 19° | 5 | 0.4 | 11.4 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 19° | 9 | 0.4 | 11.9 | 7.2 |
| Apr | 30° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 6.7 |
| May | 30° / 22° | 16 | 2.7 | 12.8 | 5.8 |
| Jun | 30° / 23° | 187 | 17.3 | 13 | 4.2 |
| Jul | 30° / 24° | 178 | 20.8 | 13 | 3.8 |
| Aug | 29° / 23° | 231 | 22 | 12.6 | 3.7 |
| Sep | 29° / 23° | 341 | 25 | 12.1 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 29° / 23° | 216 | 22.5 | 11.6 | 4.1 |
| Nov | 29° / 21° | 35 | 6.7 | 11.2 | 6.3 |
| Dec | 28° / 19° | 8 | 1.5 | 11 | 7.4 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 76 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Cloudier (%) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 76 | 24 |
| 2 | 76 | 24 |
| 3 | 76 | 24 |
| 4 | 76 | 24 |
| 5 | 77 | 23 |
| 6 | 77 | 23 |
| 7 | 78 | 22 |
| 8 | 78 | 22 |
| 9 | 78 | 22 |
| 10 | 78 | 22 |
| 11 | 78 | 22 |
| 12 | 79 | 21 |
| 13 | 79 | 21 |
| 14 | 79 | 21 |
| 15 | 79 | 21 |
| 16 | 79 | 21 |
| 17 | 79 | 21 |
| 18 | 79 | 21 |
| 19 | 79 | 21 |
| 20 | 79 | 21 |
| 21 | 79 | 21 |
| 22 | 79 | 21 |
| 23 | 79 | 21 |
| 24 | 78 | 22 |
| 25 | 78 | 22 |
| 26 | 78 | 22 |
| 27 | 78 | 22 |
| 28 | 77 | 23 |
| 29 | 77 | 23 |
| 30 | 77 | 23 |
| 31 | 77 | 23 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Zihuatanejo gets around 11 mm of rain over 1.1 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 4% and peaks near 4% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 7 | 3 |
| 8 | 3 |
| 9 | 3 |
| 10 | 4 |
| 11 | 4 |
| 12 | 4 |
| 13 | 4 |
| 14 | 4 |
| 15 | 4 |
| 16 | 4 |
| 17 | 4 |
| 18 | 4 |
| 19 | 4 |
| 20 | 4 |
| 21 | 4 |
| 22 | 4 |
| 23 | 4 |
| 24 | 4 |
| 25 | 4 |
| 26 | 4 |
| 27 | 4 |
| 28 | 4 |
| 29 | 4 |
| 30 | 4 |
| 31 | 4 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the humid band about 46% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 33% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Comfortable (%) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
| Humid (%) | 44 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 |
| Muggy (%) | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 10 | 44 | 44 |
| 2 | 1 | 11 | 45 | 43 |
| 3 | 1 | 12 | 45 | 42 |
| 4 | 1 | 12 | 46 | 41 |
| 5 | 1 | 13 | 46 | 40 |
| 6 | 1 | 14 | 46 | 39 |
| 7 | 1 | 14 | 47 | 37 |
| 8 | 2 | 15 | 47 | 36 |
| 9 | 2 | 15 | 47 | 35 |
| 10 | 2 | 16 | 48 | 35 |
| 11 | 2 | 16 | 48 | 34 |
| 12 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 33 |
| 13 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 33 |
| 14 | 3 | 17 | 48 | 32 |
| 15 | 4 | 17 | 48 | 32 |
| 16 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 32 |
| 17 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 32 |
| 18 | 4 | 17 | 47 | 32 |
| 19 | 5 | 17 | 46 | 32 |
| 20 | 5 | 17 | 46 | 31 |
| 21 | 5 | 18 | 46 | 31 |
| 22 | 5 | 18 | 46 | 31 |
| 23 | 6 | 18 | 45 | 31 |
| 24 | 6 | 18 | 45 | 30 |
| 25 | 6 | 19 | 45 | 30 |
| 26 | 6 | 19 | 45 | 30 |
| 27 | 6 | 20 | 45 | 29 |
| 28 | 6 | 21 | 45 | 28 |
| 29 | 6 | 21 | 45 | 28 |
| 30 | 5 | 22 | 46 | 27 |
| 31 | 5 | 22 | 46 | 26 |
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 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | calm |
| 2 | 5 | calm |
| 3 | 5 | calm |
| 4 | 5 | calm |
| 5 | 5 | calm |
| 6 | 5 | calm |
| 7 | 5 | calm |
| 8 | 5 | calm |
| 9 | 5 | calm |
| 10 | 5 | calm |
| 11 | 5 | calm |
| 12 | 5 | calm |
| 13 | 5 | calm |
| 14 | 5 | calm |
| 15 | 5 | calm |
| 16 | 5 | calm |
| 17 | 5 | calm |
| 18 | 5 | calm |
| 19 | 5 | calm |
| 20 | 5 | calm |
| 21 | 5 | calm |
| 22 | 5 | calm |
| 23 | 5 | calm |
| 24 | 5 | calm |
| 25 | 5 | calm |
| 26 | 5 | calm |
| 27 | 5 | calm |
| 28 | 5 | calm |
| 29 | 5 | calm |
| 30 | 5 | calm |
| 31 | 5 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:21 AM to 7:23 AM, and sunset from 6:18 PM to 6:36 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:21 | 7:21 | 7:21 | 7:22 | 7:22 | 7:22 | 7:22 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:23 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.0 | 7:21 | 6:18 |
| 2 | 11.0 | 7:21 | 6:19 |
| 3 | 11.0 | 7:21 | 6:19 |
| 4 | 11.0 | 7:22 | 6:20 |
| 5 | 11.0 | 7:22 | 6:20 |
| 6 | 11.0 | 7:22 | 6:21 |
| 7 | 11.0 | 7:22 | 6:22 |
| 8 | 11.0 | 7:23 | 6:22 |
| 9 | 11.0 | 7:23 | 6:23 |
| 10 | 11.0 | 7:23 | 6:23 |
| 11 | 11.0 | 7:23 | 6:24 |
| 12 | 11.0 | 7:23 | 6:25 |
| 13 | 11.0 | 7:24 | 6:25 |
| 14 | 11.0 | 7:24 | 6:26 |
| 15 | 11.0 | 7:24 | 6:26 |
| 16 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:27 |
| 17 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:28 |
| 18 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:28 |
| 19 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:29 |
| 20 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:29 |
| 21 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:30 |
| 22 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:31 |
| 23 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:31 |
| 24 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:32 |
| 25 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:32 |
| 26 | 11.1 | 7:24 | 6:33 |
| 27 | 11.2 | 7:24 | 6:33 |
| 28 | 11.2 | 7:24 | 6:34 |
| 29 | 11.2 | 7:24 | 6:35 |
| 30 | 11.2 | 7:24 | 6:35 |
| 31 | 11.2 | 7:23 | 6:36 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.11 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.78 kWh/m² to a high of 7.45 kWh/m² in April across the year — January's 5.11 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.4 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Zihuatanejo
None of Zihuatanejo's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Zihuatanejo sits in the eastern Pacific hurricane zone; the season peaks August–September.
Zihuatanejo's monsoon runs June–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is January a good time to visit Zihuatanejo?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is one of the better times to visit Zihuatanejo for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Zihuatanejo in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Zihuatanejo sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.
Sea temperature near Zihuatanejo in January
The nearest coast averages about 28°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in March near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 30 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Zihuatanejo in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zihuatanejo peaks around March 24 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 10 at about 7 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Zihuatanejo in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Zihuatanejo is worst in May — around 61 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 7.5× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 61 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Unhealthy | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 10 | Good |
| Apr | 31 | Moderate |
| May | 61 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 10 | Good |
Where is Zihuatanejo?
Zihuatanejo sits at 17.6°N, 101.6°W, 13 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Petatlán, 32 km away.
Topography around Zihuatanejo
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Zihuatanejo.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Zihuatanejo has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 578 m around an average of 96 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,040 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,828 m.
The land around Zihuatanejo is covered by trees (60%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (37%) within 16 km, and trees (55%) and water (35%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- Religion
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 Zihuatanejo (17.6434°, -101.5521°, elevation 13 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).