Şafwá weather in January

In January, Şafwá sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 20 mm of rain across 3.6 wet days and about 10.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Şafwá's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Şafwá's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
12th warmest
Overnight low
15°
1st coldest
Rainfall
20 mm
3.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 30 min
6:35 AM – 5:04 PM
Cloud cover
34%
12th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
3.92 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Şafwá is city in Saudi Arabia.

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 19°C through the month.

A typical January day in Şafwá reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C cooler than December and about 1°C cooler than February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12016
22016
32016
42016
52016
62015
72015
81915
91915
101915
111915
121915
131915
141915
151915
161915
171915
181915
191915
201915
211915
221915
231915
241915
251915
261915
271915
281915
291915
301915
311915

How January really feels in Şafwá

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Şafwá weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 15°203.610.57.5
Feb20° / 16°111.811.18.1
Mar23° / 18°112.111.88.7
Apr27° / 22°40.912.68.1
May32° / 27°10.213.35.3
Jun36° / 30°0013.63.2
Jul37° / 32°0013.52.1
Aug37° / 32°0012.92.0
Sep36° / 30°0012.23.1
Oct32° / 27°10.211.45.3
Nov26° / 22°192.310.78.2
Dec21° / 17°22310.48.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 25%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37525
47426
57327
67228
77129
87129
97030
107030
117129
127129
137228
147327
157327
167426
177525
187525
197624
207723
217822
227822
237921
247921
257921
267921
277921
288020
298020
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Şafwá gets around 20 mm of rain over 3.6 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 11% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
29
310
410
511
611
712
812
912
1013
1113
1213
1313
1413
1513
1613
1713
1813
1913
2012
2112
2212
2311
2411
2511
2611
2710
2810
2910
3010
319

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 76% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1652591
2652591
3662491
4662491
5672391
6682291
7692191
8702091
9711991
10731881
11741781
12761671
13761671
14781561
15801451
16801451
17821341
18821341
19821341
20831331
21831331
22831331
23821431
24821431
25811531
26801541
27791641
28791650
29781750
30771760
31771760

Wind in January

Winds average 20 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of January to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:33 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 4:54 PM to 5:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.46:334:54
210.46:334:55
310.46:334:55
410.46:344:56
510.46:344:56
610.46:344:57
710.46:344:58
810.46:344:59
910.46:344:59
1010.46:345:00
1110.46:355:01
1210.46:355:01
1310.56:355:02
1410.56:355:03
1510.56:355:04
1610.56:355:04
1710.56:355:05
1810.56:345:06
1910.56:345:07
2010.66:345:07
2110.66:345:08
2210.66:345:09
2310.66:345:10
2410.66:335:10
2510.66:335:11
2610.66:335:12
2710.76:335:13
2810.76:325:13
2910.76:325:14
3010.76:325:15
3110.76:315:16

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.92 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.74 kWh/m² to a high of 7.57 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 3.92 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
184.0Moderate
194.0Moderate
204.0Bright
214.0Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Şafwá

In seasonPeak

None of Şafwá's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Şafwá sees seasonal dust haze (February–August), heaviest in May.

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

Is January a good time to visit Şafwá?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
3.3
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Şafwá in January

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

In January, Şafwá sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 15°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 4 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Şafwá in January

The nearest coast averages about 20°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 17 km away) is warmest in August at about 33°C and coldest in February near 19°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Mar 18 to Jan 10 — about 9.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°30°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb19Cool
Mar20Cool
Apr23Refreshing
May27Warm
Jun30Tropical
Jul32Tropical
Aug33Tropical
Sep32Tropical
Oct30Tropical
Nov26Warm
Dec22Refreshing

UV index in Şafwá in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Şafwá peaks around July 18 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 18UV 10Dec 20UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb7High
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Şafwá 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 Şafwá is worst in July — around 64 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 27 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyPoorModerateJul 2163 µg/m³Nov 2128 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan36Poor
Feb36Poor
Mar41Poor
Apr47Poor
May48Poor
Jun50Poor
Jul64Unhealthy
Aug60Unhealthy
Sep47Poor
Oct40Poor
Nov27Moderate
Dec30Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Şafwá?

Şafwá sits at 26.6°N, 50.0°E, 18 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Al ‘Awwāmīyah, 7.0 km away.

Topography around Şafwá

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Şafwá has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 20 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 27 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 196 m.

The land around Şafwá is covered by bare terrain (65%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 3 km, bare terrain (61%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and water (44%) within 80 km.

3 km
20 m
16 km
27 m
80 km
196 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Al ‘Awwāmīyah 7.0 km · Al Qaţīf 11 km · Tārūt 12 km · Raḩīmah 12 km · Ras Tanura 13 km · ‘Inak 16 km · Sayhāt 21 km · Dammam 28 km

Saudi Arabia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$34,537
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
35.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 404

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 Şafwá (26.6497°, 49.9552°, elevation 18 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).