Lae weather in January

In January, Lae sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 573 mm of rain across 25.7 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-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 3% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of January to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Lae's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lae's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
24°
12th coldest
Rainfall
573 mm
25.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
6:11 AM – 6:32 PM
Cloud cover
90%
10th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.52 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Lae is city in Papua New Guinea.

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 Lae reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°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)
12724
22824
32824
42824
52824
62824
72824
82824
92824
102824
112824
122824
132824
142824
152824
162824
172824
182824
192824
202824
212824
222824
232824
242824
252824
262824
272824
282824
292824
302824
312824

Lae weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 24°57325.712.33.8
Feb28° / 24°42522.912.23.9
Mar27° / 24°61826.2123.8
Apr27° / 24°69724.411.94.0
May26° / 24°65224.411.74.2
Jun26° / 23°59223.611.64.3
Jul25° / 23°51824.811.64.3
Aug25° / 23°52525.111.84.4
Sep26° / 23°46622.9124.5
Oct26° / 23°48923.112.14.5
Nov27° / 24°58023.212.34.2
Dec27° / 24°68226.312.43.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 93%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1694
2793
3793
4793
5793
6793
7793
8793
9892
10892
11892
12892
13892
14892
15892
16892
17892
18892
19793
20793
21793
22793
23595
24595
25595
26595
27595
28595
29595
30595
31595

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Lae gets around 573 mm of rain over 25.7 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 83% and peaks near 85% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
185
284
384
483
583
683
783
882
982
1082
1182
1282
1382
1482
1582
1683
1783
1883
1984
2084
2184
2284
2384
2484
2583
2683
2783
2882
2982
3081
3180

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 96% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
13961
23961
34951
44951
54951
64951
74951
84951
94951
104951
114960
124960
134960
144960
154960
164960
173961
183961
193961
202971
212971
222971
232971
242971
252971
262971
272971
282971
292962
302962
312962

Wind in January

Winds average 4 km/h in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of January to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:04 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 6:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:046:27
212.46:046:27
312.46:056:28
412.46:056:28
512.46:066:28
612.46:066:29
712.46:076:29
812.46:076:29
912.46:086:30
1012.46:086:30
1112.46:086:30
1212.46:096:31
1312.46:096:31
1412.46:106:31
1512.46:106:32
1612.46:116:32
1712.36:116:32
1812.36:126:32
1912.36:126:33
2012.36:126:33
2112.36:136:33
2212.36:136:33
2312.36:146:33
2412.36:146:33
2512.36:146:34
2612.36:156:34
2712.36:156:34
2812.36:166:34
2912.36:166:34
3012.36:166:34
3112.36:176:34

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.52 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.28 kWh/m² to a high of 4.64 kWh/m² in October across the year — January's 4.52 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Lae

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is January a good time to visit Lae?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Lae.

What to pack for Lae in January

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

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

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Lae in January

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 January at about 30°C and coldest in August near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan30Tropical
Feb30Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov30Tropical
Dec30Tropical

UV index in Lae 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 Lae peaks around March 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 10UV 16Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Lae?

Lae sits at 6.7°S, 147.0°E, 44 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Bulolo, 66 km away.

GorokaMadangPopondettaPort MoresbyMount HagenKimbeMendi

Topography around Lae

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lae has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 181 m around an average of 20 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,440 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,081 m.

The land around Lae is covered by trees (44%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, trees (57%) and water (35%) within 16 km, and trees (69%) and water (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
181 m
16 km
1,440 m
80 km
4,081 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
January weather nearby: Bulolo 66 km · Goroka 191 km · Madang 214 km · Popondetta 265 km · Port Moresby 307 km · Mount Hagen 320 km · Kimbe 371 km · Mendi 375 km

Papua New Guinea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type I
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 58% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,020
2025
Homicide rate
9.3
per 100k, 2010
Road deaths
12.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 64%Roman Catholic 26%other Christian 5%non-Christian 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 Lae (-6.7233°, 146.9961°, elevation 44 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).