Paarl weather in January

In January, Paarl sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 21 mm of rain across 3.1 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 78% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

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 Paarl's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Paarl's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
16°
11th coldest
Rainfall
21 mm
3.1 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:53 AM – 7:54 PM
Cloud cover
21%
2nd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
8.2 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Paarl is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
3,645/km²
people per km²
Founded
1657

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 29°C through the month.

A typical January day in Paarl reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12816
22816
32816
42816
52816
62816
72816
82816
92816
102816
112816
122816
132816
142916
152916
162916
172916
182916
192916
202916
212916
222916
232916
242916
252916
262916
272916
282916
292916
302916
312916

Paarl weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 16°213.1147.3
Feb29° / 16°172.813.37.2
Mar27° / 15°213.312.38.0
Apr24° / 12°575.611.27.9
May20° / 998.310.36.8
Jun17° / 15210.79.85.4
Jul16° / 1309.9105.4
Aug17° / 11010.610.75.4
Sep19° / 778.711.86.3
Oct22° / 10°476.112.87.4
Nov24° / 12°44613.87.9
Dec27° / 15°254.414.28.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 78% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28416
38416
48515
58614
68614
78614
88713
98713
108713
118713
128713
138812
148911
158911
168911
179010
189010
199010
209010
219010
229010
239010
249010
259010
268911
278911
288911
298911
308911
319010

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Paarl gets around 21 mm of rain over 3.1 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 10% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
112
212
312
411
511
611
711
811
911
1011
1111
1211
1311
1411
1510
1610
1710
1810
1910
209
219
229
239
249
259
269
279
289
299
309
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 50% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
153416
253416
353416
453416
553416
654406
754406
854406
953407
1053407
1153407
1253407
1354397
1454397
1552408
1652408
1752408
1851418
1950419
2049429
2149429
2248429
2348439
2447439
2547449
2647449
2746459
2846459
2946459
3046458
3146458

Wind in January

Winds average 10 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 5:41 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 7:53 PM to 7:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.25:417:53
214.25:427:54
314.25:427:54
414.25:437:54
514.25:447:54
614.25:457:54
714.15:457:54
814.15:467:54
914.15:477:54
1014.15:487:54
1114.15:497:54
1214.15:507:54
1314.15:507:54
1414.05:517:54
1514.05:527:54
1614.05:537:54
1714.05:547:54
1814.05:557:53
1914.05:567:53
2013.95:577:53
2113.95:587:52
2213.95:587:52
2313.95:597:52
2413.96:007:51
2513.86:017:51
2613.86:027:51
2713.86:037:50
2813.86:047:50
2913.76:057:49
3013.76:067:48
3113.76:077:48

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 8.2 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.5 kWh/m² to a high of 8.2 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 8.2 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.3Intense
28.3Intense
38.3Intense
48.3Intense
58.3Intense
68.3Intense
78.3Intense
88.3Intense
98.3Intense
108.3Intense
118.3Intense
128.3Intense
138.3Intense
148.3Intense
158.2Intense
168.2Intense
178.2Intense
188.2Intense
198.2Intense
208.2Intense
218.1Intense
228.1Intense
238.1Intense
248.1Intense
258.0Intense
268.0Intense
278.0Intense
288.0Intense
297.9Intense
307.9Intense
317.9Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Paarl

In seasonPeak

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

Paarl's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Paarl?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
8.7
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Paarl for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Paarl in January

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

In January, Paarl sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Paarl in January

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 44 km away) is warmest in January at about 19°C and coldest in July near 15°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Paarl 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 Paarl peaks around January 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep5High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Paarl 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 Paarl is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 2152 µg/m³Dec 1516 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar28Moderate
Apr41Poor
May52Poor
Jun50Poor
Jul47Poor
Aug41Poor
Sep33Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Paarl?

Paarl sits at 33.7°S, 19.0°E, 107 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Wellington, 11 km away.

Topography around Paarl

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Paarl has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 517 m around an average of 163 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,613 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,250 m.

The land around Paarl is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) within 3 km, grassland (38%) and cropland (27%) within 16 km, and grassland (32%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
517 m
16 km
1,613 m
80 km
2,250 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Wellington 11 km · Le Roux 21 km · Franschhoek 24 km · Stellenbosch 24 km · Kraaifontein 27 km · Durbanville 32 km · Kuils River 34 km · Malmesbury 38 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 Paarl (-33.7338°, 18.9752°, elevation 107 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).