Mendi weather in January

In January, Mendi sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 450 mm of rain across 29.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 10th-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 0% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

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 Mendi's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mendi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
1st warmest
Overnight low
13°
9th coldest
Rainfall
450 mm
29.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:25 AM – 6:44 PM
Cloud cover
96%
10th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Mendi is capital city of Southern Highlands, 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 22°C through the month.

A typical January day in Mendi reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12113
22113
32113
42113
52113
62113
72113
82113
92113
102113
112213
122213
132213
142213
152213
162213
172213
182213
192213
202213
212213
222213
232213
242213
252213
262213
272213
282213
292213
302213
312213

Mendi weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 13°45029.412.33.4
Feb22° / 13°42726.812.23.4
Mar21° / 13°50429.9123.3
Apr21° / 14°58329.211.93.3
May21° / 13°55729.911.73.4
Jun20° / 13°46829.111.73.3
Jul20° / 13°41229.711.73.3
Aug20° / 13°48029.611.83.3
Sep20° / 13°56728.4123.4
Oct21° / 13°59128.712.13.5
Nov22° / 13°4862812.33.5
Dec22° / 13°45229.312.43.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 0% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 1% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 99%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1199
2199
3199
4199
5199
6199
7199
8199
9199
10199
11199
12199
13199
14199
15199
16199
17199
18199
19199
20199
21199
22199
23199
24199
25199
260100
270100
280100
290100
300100
310100

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mendi gets around 450 mm of rain over 29.4 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 95% and peaks near 96% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
196
296
396
495
595
695
795
895
995
1095
1195
1295
1395
1495
1595
1695
1795
1895
1995
2096
2196
2296
2396
2495
2595
2695
2795
2895
2995
3095
3195

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 83% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
137720
237819
337918
438017
538116
648115
748115
848214
938314
1038413
1138413
1238413
1338413
1438413
1538413
1638413
1738314
1838314
1938314
2028414
2128414
2228414
2328414
2428414
2528513
2638413
2738413
2838413
2938413
3038413
3128612

Wind in January

Winds average 4 km/h in January.

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 6:18 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 6:39 PM to 6:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:186:39
212.36:186:39
312.36:196:40
412.36:196:40
512.36:206:41
612.36:206:41
712.36:216:41
812.36:216:42
912.36:226:42
1012.36:226:42
1112.36:236:43
1212.36:236:43
1312.36:246:43
1412.36:246:44
1512.36:256:44
1612.36:256:44
1712.36:256:45
1812.36:266:45
1912.36:266:45
2012.36:276:45
2112.36:276:45
2212.36:286:46
2312.36:286:46
2412.36:286:46
2512.36:296:46
2612.36:296:46
2712.36:296:46
2812.36:306:47
2912.36:306:47
3012.36:306:47
3112.36:316:47

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.81 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.57 kWh/m² to a high of 4.88 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 4.81 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Mendi?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
2.3
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Mendi.

What to pack for Mendi in January

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

In January, Mendi sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 29 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Mendi in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 17 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mendi peaks around March 14 at about 18 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 12 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 14UV 18Jun 19UV 12
UV index (midday)Level
Jan17Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar18Extreme
Apr16Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep16Extreme
Oct16Extreme
Nov16Extreme
Dec15Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mendi?

Mendi sits at 6.1°S, 143.7°E, 1,729 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Mount Hagen, 71 km away.

GorokaMadangWewakDaruBuloloLaeMerauke

Topography around Mendi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mendi has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 889 m around an average of 1,903 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,714 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,228 m.

The land around Mendi is covered by trees (63%) and grassland (33%) within 3 km, trees (80%) within 16 km, and trees (87%) within 80 km.

3 km
889 m
16 km
1,714 m
80 km
4,228 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswetland
January weather nearby: Mount Hagen 71 km · Goroka 191 km · Madang 257 km · Wewak 289 km · Daru 330 km · Bulolo 350 km · Lae 375 km · Merauke 444 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 Mendi (-6.1475°, 143.6563°, elevation 1,729 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. 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).