Mogadishu weather in January

In January, Mogadishu sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 6 mm of rain across 1.1 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 70% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Mogadishu's 2nd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mogadishu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
24°
4th coldest
Rainfall
6 mm
1.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:11 AM – 6:05 PM
Cloud cover
31%
2nd clearest
Wind
24 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Mogadishu is capital and the largest city of Somalia.

Density
28,431/km²
people per km²
Founded
1331

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 30°C through the month.

A typical January day in Mogadishu reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13025
23025
33025
43024
53024
63024
73024
83024
93024
103024
113024
123024
133024
143024
153024
163024
173024
183024
193024
203024
213024
223024
233024
243024
253024
263024
273024
283024
293024
303024
313024

How January really feels in Mogadishu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Mogadishu weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 24°61.111.96.6
Feb30° / 25°1011.96.6
Mar30° / 26°62126.1
Apr30° / 26°5611.3124.8
May29° / 26°7317.112.14.7
Jun28° / 25°4515.512.15.4
Jul27° / 24°4414.412.15.8
Aug27° / 23°3211.112.16.5
Sep28° / 24°216.3127.1
Oct29° / 25°428.6126.1
Nov29° / 25°6413.111.95.3
Dec30° / 25°275.411.96.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 70% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28317
38317
48317
58317
68218
78119
88119
98119
108119
118119
128218
138218
148218
158317
168317
178317
188416
198416
208416
218416
228515
238515
248515
258515
268614
278614
288614
298614
308713
318713

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mogadishu gets around 6 mm of rain over 1.1 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 3% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
35
45
55
65
75
85
95
105
114
124
134
144
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
222
232
242
252
262
272
282
292
301
311

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 56% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1036640
2037630
3038620
4038620
5039610
6139600
7140590
8140590
9140590
10141580
11141580
12141580
13142570
14142570
15142570
16143560
17143560
18144550
19144550
20045550
21046540
22046540
23047521
24048511
25048511
26048511
27048511
28048511
29048511
30048511
31048511

Wind in January

Winds average 24 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 23 km/h on the calmest days to 25 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
123breezy
224breezy
324breezy
424breezy
524breezy
624breezy
724breezy
824breezy
924breezy
1024breezy
1124breezy
1224breezy
1324breezy
1424breezy
1524breezy
1624breezy
1724breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2625breezy
2725breezy
2825breezy
2925breezy
3025breezy
3125breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:05 AM to 6:15 AM, and sunset from 5:58 PM to 6:09 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:055:58
211.96:065:59
311.96:065:59
411.96:076:00
511.96:076:00
611.96:076:01
711.96:086:01
811.96:086:01
911.96:096:02
1011.96:096:02
1111.96:096:03
1211.96:106:03
1311.96:106:04
1411.96:106:04
1511.96:116:04
1611.96:116:05
1711.96:116:05
1811.96:126:05
1911.96:126:06
2011.96:126:06
2111.96:136:07
2211.96:136:07
2311.96:136:07
2411.96:136:07
2511.96:146:08
2611.96:146:08
2711.96:146:08
2811.96:146:09
2911.96:146:09
3011.96:146:09
3111.96:156:09

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.64 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.54 kWh/m² to a high of 7.1 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.64 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.5Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.7Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.9Intense
276.9Intense
286.9Intense
296.9Intense
306.9Intense
317.0Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Mogadishu?

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
8.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Mogadishu for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Mogadishu in January

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

In January, Mogadishu sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker.

light clothessun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Mogadishu in January

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 18 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Mogadishu in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mogadishu peaks around March 24 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 24UV 14Jun 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Mogadishu 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 Mogadishu is worst in November — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (September, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateNov 2215 µg/m³Sep 169 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr10Good
May10Good
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct10Good
Nov16Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Mogadishu?

Mogadishu sits at 2.0°N, 45.3°E, 12 m above sea level, in Somalia. The nearest listed city is Afgooye, 27 km away.

QoryooleyBuurhakabaBuulobardeBaidoa

Topography around Mogadishu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mogadishu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 74 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 179 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 m.

The land around Mogadishu is covered by artificial surfaces (60%) and water (37%) within 3 km, water (48%) within 16 km, and water (34%), shrubs (32%) and cropland (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
74 m
16 km
179 m
80 km
249 m
shrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Afgooye 27 km · Marka 73 km · Wanlaweyn 82 km · Jawhar 85 km · Qoryooley 95 km · Buurhakaba 164 km · Buulobarde 204 km · Baidoa 223 km

Somalia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 52% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$661
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Road deaths
27.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 399
Religion
Muslim 100%ethnic religionist 0%

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 Mogadishu (2.0371°, 45.3438°, elevation 12 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).