Mossel Bay weather in January

In January, Mossel Bay sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 37 mm of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-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 56% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Mossel Bay's 4th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mossel Bay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
19°
11th coldest
Rainfall
37 mm
7.5 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:39 AM – 7:42 PM
Cloud cover
39%
4th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
7.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

Mossel Bay is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
1,871/km²
people per km²
Founded
1848

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 Mossel Bay reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 2°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 about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.

15°18°20°23°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12119
22119
32219
42219
52219
62219
72219
82219
92219
102219
112219
122219
132219
142219
152219
162219
172219
182220
192220
202220
212220
222220
232220
242220
252220
262220
272220
282220
292220
302220
312220

Mossel Bay weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 19°377.5147.4
Feb22° / 20°306.713.37.4
Mar21° / 19°417.412.37.3
Apr20° / 17°436.711.26.9
May19° / 15°406.210.26.9
Jun17° / 14°376.99.86.4
Jul17° / 13°387.2106.1
Aug17° / 13°477.610.75.9
Sep17° / 14°336.511.86.1
Oct18° / 15°437.412.96.5
Nov19° / 17°527.713.86.7
Dec21° / 18°356.814.27.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37723
47723
57723
67723
77723
87723
97723
107723
117822
127822
137723
147723
157723
167723
177624
187624
197624
207525
217426
227426
237327
247327
257327
267327
277327
287327
297327
307327
317426

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mossel Bay gets around 37 mm of rain over 7.5 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 24% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
425
526
626
725
825
925
1025
1124
1224
1323
1422
1522
1621
1721
1821
1921
2021
2121
2222
2322
2423
2523
2624
2724
2825
2925
3025
3125

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the humid band about 41% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 32% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
192341261
292241271
382241271
482241281
582240281
682140292
782140292
882140292
982140292
1082140292
1182140292
1282140292
1382240292
1472240282
1572240282
1672240292
1762340293
1862340293
1952240293
2052240303
2152241303
2242141303
2342142313
2442042313
2542042313
2641943323
2741843323
2841843333
2941743333
3031643343
3131643353

Wind in January

Winds average 19 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 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
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:27 AM to 5:53 AM, and sunset from 7:42 PM to 7:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.25:277:42
214.25:287:42
314.25:297:42
414.25:297:42
514.25:307:43
614.25:317:43
714.25:327:43
814.25:327:43
914.25:337:43
1014.15:347:43
1114.15:357:43
1214.15:367:43
1314.15:377:43
1414.15:387:42
1514.15:387:42
1614.05:397:42
1714.05:407:42
1814.05:417:42
1914.05:427:41
2014.05:437:41
2113.95:447:41
2213.95:457:40
2313.95:467:40
2413.95:477:40
2513.95:487:39
2613.85:497:39
2713.85:507:38
2813.85:517:38
2913.85:527:37
3013.75:527:37
3113.75:537:36

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.6 kWh/m² to a high of 7.58 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.36 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.5Intense
27.5Intense
37.5Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.5Intense
97.5Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.4Intense
147.4Intense
157.4Intense
167.4Intense
177.4Intense
187.4Intense
197.3Intense
207.3Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.3Intense
247.2Intense
257.2Intense
267.2Intense
277.1Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.0Intense
317.0Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Mossel Bay?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mossel Bay in January

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

In January, Mossel Bay sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 19°C. Pack sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Mossel Bay in January

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 21 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 15 to Mar 18 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr18Cool
May17Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul16Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Mossel Bay 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 Mossel Bay peaks around January 14 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 14UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mossel Bay?

Mossel Bay sits at 34.2°S, 22.1°E, 43 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Groot-Brakrivier, 17 km away.

Swellendam

Topography around Mossel Bay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mossel Bay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 175 m around an average of 28 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 336 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,504 m.

The land around Mossel Bay is covered by water (70%) within 3 km, water (69%) within 16 km, and water (35%), shrubs (27%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
175 m
16 km
336 m
80 km
1,504 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Groot-Brakrivier 17 km · George 38 km · Oudtshoorn 65 km · Dysselsdorp 73 km · Riversdale 82 km · Knysna 85 km · Plettenberg Bay 114 km · Swellendam 158 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Mossel Bay (-34.1831°, 22.146°, elevation 43 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).