Walvis Bay weather in January

In January, Walvis Bay sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.6 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of January to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Walvis Bay's 11th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Walvis Bay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
5th warmest
Overnight low
17°
10th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
6:33 AM – 7:49 PM
Cloud cover
43%
11th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
7.75 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Walvis Bay is city and harbour in Erongo Region, Namibia.

Founded
1840

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 20°C through the month.

A typical January day in Walvis Bay reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12016
22016
32016
42016
52016
62016
72016
82016
92016
102016
112016
122016
132016
142016
152017
162017
172017
182017
192017
202017
212017
222017
232017
242017
252017
262017
272117
282117
292117
302117
312117

Walvis Bay weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 5th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 17°30.613.38.0
Feb21° / 17°40.812.88.1
Mar21° / 17°30.512.28.4
Apr21° / 16°30.511.58.6
May20° / 15°10.210.98.7
Jun20° / 14°00.110.68.7
Jul20° / 13°10.110.78.6
Aug18° / 12°00.111.27.8
Sep17° / 12°10.211.97.4
Oct18° / 13°0012.57.6
Nov19° / 14°00.113.17.9
Dec19° / 15°10.113.48.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 28% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 25%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37426
47228
57228
67228
77228
87228
97129
107228
117228
127228
137426
147426
157426
167525
177525
187624
197624
207723
217723
227822
237921
247921
258020
268020
278020
287921
297921
308020
317921

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Walvis Bay gets around 3 mm of rain over 0.6 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 2% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
72
82
92
102
112
122
132
143
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
223
233
242
252
262
272
282
292
301
311

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 62% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1277210
2276220
3275230
4275230
5274240
6273250
7272260
8271270
9269290
10268300
11267310
12265330
13264340
14262360
15261370
16160381
17158401
18157411
19156421
20155431
21055441
22055441
23054451
24054451
25054451
26053452
27053452
28053452
29053452
30053452
31053452

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 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of January to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:24 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 7:47 PM to 7:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.46:247:47
213.46:247:47
313.46:257:47
413.46:257:48
513.46:267:48
613.46:277:48
713.46:277:48
813.36:287:48
913.36:297:49
1013.36:297:49
1113.36:307:49
1213.36:317:49
1313.36:317:49
1413.36:327:49
1513.36:337:49
1613.36:337:49
1713.36:347:49
1813.26:357:49
1913.26:357:49
2013.26:367:49
2113.26:377:49
2213.26:377:49
2313.26:387:49
2413.26:397:49
2513.26:397:49
2613.16:407:48
2713.16:417:48
2813.16:417:48
2913.16:427:48
3013.16:437:47
3113.16:437:47

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.75 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.3 kWh/m² to a high of 7.99 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.75 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.9Intense
27.8Intense
37.8Intense
47.8Intense
57.8Intense
67.8Intense
77.8Intense
87.8Intense
97.8Intense
107.8Intense
117.8Intense
127.8Intense
137.8Intense
147.8Intense
157.8Intense
167.8Intense
177.7Intense
187.7Intense
197.7Intense
207.7Intense
217.7Intense
227.7Intense
237.7Intense
247.7Intense
257.7Intense
267.7Intense
277.7Intense
287.7Intense
297.6Intense
307.6Intense
317.6Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Walvis Bay?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Walvis Bay for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Walvis Bay in January

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

In January, Walvis Bay sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 17°C. Pack sun protection.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Walvis Bay 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 16 km away) is warmest in February at about 18°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

12°14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr16Cool
May15Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov15Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Walvis Bay 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 Walvis Bay peaks around January 15 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 14Jun 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7High
Jun5High
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Walvis Bay 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 Walvis Bay is worst in July — around 36 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.8× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1235 µg/m³Jan 145 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb6Good
Mar5Good
Apr9Good
May24Moderate
Jun33Moderate
Jul36Poor
Aug25Moderate
Sep11Good
Oct7Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Walvis Bay?

Walvis Bay sits at 23.0°S, 14.5°E, 6 m above sea level, in Namibia. The nearest listed city is Swakopmund, 31 km away.

KatuturaRehobothWindhoekOkahandjaOtjiwarongoMarientalLüderitz

Topography around Walvis Bay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Walvis Bay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 14 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 130 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 873 m.

The land around Walvis Bay is covered by bare terrain (37%), artificial surfaces (31%) and water (28%) within 3 km, bare terrain (53%) and water (43%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (65%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
14 m
16 km
130 m
80 km
873 m
shrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Swakopmund 31 km · Katutura 266 km · Rehoboth 267 km · Windhoek 268 km · Okahandja 269 km · Otjiwarongo 355 km · Mariental 398 km · Lüderitz 416 km

Namibia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,876
2025
Happiness
4.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
34.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Christian 98%unaffiliated 2%other 1%

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 Walvis Bay (-22.9575°, 14.5053°, elevation 6 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).