Nacala weather in January

In January, Nacala sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 207 mm of rain across 23.7 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-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 15% of the time in January, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of January to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Nacala's 12th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nacala's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
26°
12th coldest
Rainfall
207 mm
23.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 48 min
5:03 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
77%
12th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.09 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Nacala is port city in Nampula Province, Mozambique.

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 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in Nacala reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How January really feels in Nacala

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 31 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
31
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.

Nacala weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°20723.712.83.9
Feb28° / 26°17521.812.53.9
Mar28° / 25°19022.112.14.2
Apr28° / 25°7612.711.75.9
May27° / 24°184.511.37.8
Jun26° / 22°164.711.28.1
Jul25° / 22°154.511.28.2
Aug25° / 22°82.311.58.7
Sep26° / 22°71.311.98.9
Oct27° / 24°102.712.38.4
Nov28° / 25°26612.77.5
Dec28° / 26°11417.212.85.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% 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 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23169
33070
42872
52773
62674
72575
82377
92377
102179
112179
122278
132377
142377
152377
162575
172674
182674
192773
202773
212773
222872
232971
242971
252971
262971
272971
282971
292971
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Nacala gets around 207 mm of rain over 23.7 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 76% and peaks near 79% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
172
273
373
474
575
676
777
877
978
1078
1179
1279
1379
1478
1578
1678
1777
1877
1976
2076
2175
2275
2375
2474
2574
2674
2774
2874
2973
3073
3174

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels miserable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the miserable band about 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
14357
24357
34357
44357
54456
64456
74456
84456
94555
104555
114456
124456
134456
144456
154456
164357
174357
184258
194258
204159
214060
224060
234060
243961
253961
263961
273961
283961
294060
304060
314159

Wind in January

Winds average 14 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of January to 12 h 36 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 4:55 AM to 5:11 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.84:555:46
212.84:565:46
312.84:565:47
412.84:575:47
512.84:575:47
612.84:585:48
712.84:585:48
812.84:595:48
912.84:595:48
1012.85:005:49
1112.85:015:49
1212.85:015:49
1312.85:025:49
1412.85:025:49
1512.85:035:50
1612.85:035:50
1712.85:045:50
1812.85:045:50
1912.85:055:50
2012.75:055:50
2112.75:065:50
2212.75:075:50
2312.75:075:50
2412.75:085:50
2512.75:085:50
2612.75:095:50
2712.75:095:50
2812.75:105:50
2912.75:105:50
3012.75:115:50
3112.65:115:50

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.09 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.59 kWh/m² to a high of 7.28 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 6.09 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Nacala

In seasonPeak

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

Nacala sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

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

Is January a good time to visit Nacala?

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

3.9
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Nacala.

What to pack for Nacala in January

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

In January, Nacala sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Nacala in January

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 22 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Nacala in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 16 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Nacala peaks around January 20 at about 16 (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 20UV 16Jun 20UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Nacala?

Nacala sits at 14.6°S, 40.7°E, 137 m above sea level, in Mozambique. The nearest listed city is Mossuril, 45 km away.

Namapa-eratiChiúreNampulaPemba

Topography around Nacala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nacala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 146 m around an average of 80 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 190 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 509 m.

The land around Nacala is covered by artificial surfaces (55%) and grassland (30%) within 3 km, grassland (69%) within 16 km, and water (38%), grassland (28%) and shrubs (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
146 m
16 km
190 m
80 km
509 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Mossuril 45 km · Mozambique 53 km · Monapo 57 km · Namialo 85 km · Namapa-erati 132 km · Chiúre 163 km · Nampula 164 km · Pemba 178 km

Mozambique travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 37% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$627
2025
Happiness
5.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
28%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.6
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Catholic 27%Islam 19%Pentecostal 17%Saio/Zione 16%

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 Nacala (-14.5626°, 40.6854°, elevation 137 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).