Blenheim weather in January

In January, Blenheim sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 60 mm of rain across 8.1 wet days and about 14.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 10th-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 33% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 hours at the start of January to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Blenheim's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Blenheim's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
13°
11th coldest
Rainfall
60 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
14 h 42 min
6:13 AM – 8:54 PM
Cloud cover
57%
9th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
7.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Blenheim is town in New Zealand.

Air quality
Good
PM10 18.5 µg/m³ · 2012
Density
287/km²
people per km²
Founded
1850

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 Blenheim reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12012
22013
32013
42013
52013
62013
72013
82013
92013
102013
112013
122013
132013
142013
152013
162013
172013
182013
192013
202013
212013
222013
232013
242013
252113
262113
272113
282113
292113
302113
312113

Blenheim weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 13°608.114.76.6
Feb20° / 13°536.313.76.9
Mar19° / 11°537.112.36.6
Apr16° / 678.210.95.5
May14° / 638.49.74.4
Jun12° / 819.49.13.1
Jul11° / 769.79.32.7
Aug12° / 7410.810.33.1
Sep13° / 7310.311.73.8
Oct15° / 8311.113.14.6
Nov17° / 10°739.914.35.4
Dec19° / 12°7310.414.96.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44951
54951
64951
74852
84951
94951
105050
115050
125050
135149
145149
155149
165149
175149
185248
195248
205248
215347
225248
235248
245248
255149
265149
275050
285050
295050
305050
315149

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Blenheim gets around 60 mm of rain over 8.1 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 27% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
329
429
529
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1328
1428
1528
1627
1727
1826
1926
2026
2125
2225
2324
2424
2524
2624
2723
2823
2923
3022
3122

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 64% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
171263
270273
370273
469283
569283
668284
768284
868284
968284
1068284
1168284
1267285
1366295
1466295
1566295
1664306
1764306
1863307
1962317
2061318
2161318
2259329
2359329
2458339
25573310
26573310
27573310
28573310
29573310
30583210
31583210

Wind in January

Winds average 15 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 hours at the start of January to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:59 AM to 6:30 AM, and sunset from 8:56 PM to 8:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.05:598:56
214.95:598:56
314.96:008:56
414.96:018:56
514.96:028:56
614.96:038:56
714.96:048:56
814.96:058:56
914.86:068:56
1014.86:078:56
1114.86:088:56
1214.86:098:55
1314.86:108:55
1414.76:118:55
1514.76:128:55
1614.76:138:54
1714.76:148:54
1814.66:158:53
1914.66:168:53
2014.66:178:52
2114.66:188:52
2214.56:198:51
2314.56:218:51
2414.56:228:50
2514.46:238:49
2614.46:248:49
2714.46:258:48
2814.36:278:47
2914.36:288:46
3014.36:298:46
3114.26:308:45

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.31 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.7 kWh/m² to a high of 7.31 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 7.31 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.7Intense
27.7Intense
37.6Intense
47.6Intense
57.6Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.3Intense
117.3Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.1Intense
157.1Intense
167.1Intense
177.0Intense
187.0Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
226.9Intense
236.9Intense
246.9Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.7Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Blenheim?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Blenheim for sightseeing.

What to pack for Blenheim in January

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

In January, Blenheim sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 13°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Blenheim in January

The nearest coast averages about 16°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 21 km away) is warmest in February at about 17°C and coldest in August near 12°C.

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

10°12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr15Cool
May14Bracing
Jun13Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep12Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Blenheim in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Blenheim peaks around January 11 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeModerateLowModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 11UV 11Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Extreme
Mar6High
Apr4Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug3Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov9Very high
Dec11Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Blenheim?

Blenheim sits at 41.5°S, 174.0°E, 9 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Picton, 25 km away.

Topography around Blenheim

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Blenheim has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 79 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 899 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,829 m.

The land around Blenheim is covered by grassland (47%) and artificial surfaces (32%) within 3 km, grassland (53%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and water (47%), trees (28%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
79 m
16 km
899 m
80 km
2,829 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Picton 25 km · Nelson 62 km · Stoke 64 km · Richmond 67 km · Karori 71 km · Wellington 73 km · Porirua 86 km · Lower Hutt 87 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Blenheim (-41.516°, 173.9528°, elevation 9 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).