Napier weather in January

In January, Napier sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 63 mm of rain across 7.7 wet days and about 14.5 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 42 min at the start of January to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Napier's 3rd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Napier's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
1st warmest
Overnight low
16°
11th coldest
Rainfall
63 mm
7.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 30 min
6:07 AM – 8:37 PM
Cloud cover
53%
3rd clearest
Wind
15 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
6.98 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Napier is city in the North Island of New Zealand.

Air quality
Excellent
PM10 13.7 µg/m³ · 2012
Density
626/km²
people per km²
Founded
1851

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 22°C through the month.

A typical January day in Napier reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12116
22116
32116
42116
52116
62116
72116
82116
92116
102116
112116
122216
132216
142216
152216
162216
172216
182216
192216
202216
212217
222217
232217
242217
252217
262217
272217
282217
292217
302217
312217

Napier weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 16°637.714.57.0
Feb22° / 17°56813.66.8
Mar20° / 15°658.212.36.7
Apr18° / 13°808.8116.1
May16° / 11°659.19.95.2
Jun14° / 7910.19.34.1
Jul13° / 9211.19.53.5
Aug13° / 7110.610.43.8
Sep15° / 629.411.74.6
Oct16° / 11°639.3135.4
Nov18° / 13°588.814.26.1
Dec20° / 15°589.314.76.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35842
45842
55842
65842
75743
85842
95743
105743
115743
125644
135545
145545
155545
165545
175545
185545
195446
205446
215446
225248
235248
245248
255248
265248
275248
285149
295149
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Napier gets around 63 mm of rain over 7.7 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 26% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
223
323
423
523
624
724
824
925
1025
1125
1226
1327
1427
1527
1628
1728
1828
1928
2028
2127
2227
2327
2427
2527
2627
2727
2827
2927
3027
3127

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 38% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14735180
24635190
34535190
44535200
54435200
64335210
74336210
84236210
94236211
104137211
114037211
124037211
133938212
143838212
153839212
163739213
173639213
183639214
193539214
203539225
213538225
223438226
233437236
243437236
253436246
263336247
273335257
283335257
293335257
303335267
313334267

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

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light 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
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 14 h 42 min at the start of January to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 6:23 AM, and sunset from 8:38 PM to 8:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.75:538:38
214.75:548:38
314.75:558:38
414.75:568:38
514.75:568:38
614.75:578:38
714.75:588:38
814.75:598:38
914.66:008:38
1014.66:018:38
1114.66:028:38
1214.66:038:38
1314.66:048:37
1414.56:058:37
1514.56:068:37
1614.56:078:37
1714.56:088:36
1814.56:098:36
1914.46:108:35
2014.46:118:35
2114.46:128:35
2214.46:138:34
2314.36:148:34
2414.36:158:33
2514.36:168:32
2614.26:178:32
2714.26:198:31
2814.26:208:30
2914.16:218:30
3014.16:228:29
3114.16:238:28

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.98 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.98 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 6.98 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.3Intense
77.3Intense
87.2Intense
97.1Intense
107.1Intense
117.0Intense
127.0Intense
136.9Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.7Intense
176.7Intense
186.6Intense
196.6Intense
206.5Intense
216.5Intense
226.5Intense
236.4Intense
246.4Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Napier?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Napier in January

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

In January, Napier sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Napier in January

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 February at about 20°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

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

10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb20Cool
Mar19Cool
Apr18Cool
May16Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov16Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Napier in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Napier peaks around January 13 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateLowModerateExtremeJan 13UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar7High
Apr5Moderate
May2Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct7High
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Napier?

Napier sits at 39.5°S, 176.9°E, 6 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Hastings, 17 km away.

TaupoGisbornePalmerston NorthRotoruaWhanganuiWhakataneLevin

Topography around Napier

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Napier has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 97 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 366 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,719 m.

The land around Napier is covered by water (52%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 3 km, water (51%) and grassland (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%), water (32%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
97 m
16 km
366 m
80 km
1,719 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Hastings 17 km · Taupo 115 km · Gisborne 133 km · Palmerston North 147 km · Rotorua 161 km · Whanganui 167 km · Whakatane 171 km · Levin 188 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 Napier (-39.4926°, 176.9123°, 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).