Port Alfred weather in January

In January, Port Alfred sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 53 mm of rain across 8.2 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

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 Port Alfred's 9th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Alfred's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
20°
11th coldest
Rainfall
53 mm
8.2 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:22 AM – 7:22 PM
Cloud cover
54%
9th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Port Alfred is place in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1821

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 25°C through the month.

A typical January day in Port Alfred reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12519
22519
32519
42519
52519
62519
72519
82519
92519
102519
112519
122519
132519
142519
152519
162520
172520
182520
192520
202520
212520
222520
232520
242520
252520
262520
272520
282520
292520
302520
312620

Port Alfred weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 20°538.2147.2
Feb26° / 20°568.613.26.9
Mar25° / 19°598.812.37.3
Apr23° / 17°547.911.27.4
May22° / 15°244.810.37.8
Jun21° / 13°274.39.87.8
Jul20° / 12°274.1107.7
Aug20° / 13°416.210.87.3
Sep20° / 14°42611.87.1
Oct21° / 15°518.412.86.8
Nov22° / 17°568.913.76.9
Dec24° / 18°589.414.27.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 46%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25545
35446
45446
55446
65446
75446
85347
95347
105446
115446
125446
135446
145545
155446
165446
175545
185545
195446
205446
215446
225446
235347
245347
255347
265347
275347
285347
295347
305347
315347

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Port Alfred gets around 53 mm of rain over 8.2 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 26% and peaks near 29% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
129
229
329
428
528
628
727
827
926
1026
1126
1225
1325
1425
1525
1624
1724
1824
1924
2024
2125
2225
2325
2426
2526
2627
2727
2828
2928
3029
3129

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 38% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 46% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
151738346
251638356
341638357
441638357
541638367
641637367
741537368
841537368
941537368
1041537368
1141537368
1241537368
1331537368
1431636378
1531636378
1631636378
1731536388
1831536388
1931535398
2021535398
2121535408
2221535408
2321535418
2421535417
2521435417
2611435427
2711435427
2811336437
2911336438
3011236438
3111235448

Wind in January

Winds average 17 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light 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 5:10 AM to 5:36 AM, and sunset from 7:21 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.25:107:21
214.25:117:22
314.25:117:22
414.25:127:22
514.25:137:22
614.15:137:22
714.15:147:22
814.15:157:22
914.15:167:22
1014.15:177:22
1114.15:177:22
1214.15:187:22
1314.15:197:22
1414.05:207:22
1514.05:217:22
1614.05:227:22
1714.05:237:22
1814.05:247:21
1913.95:247:21
2013.95:257:21
2113.95:267:21
2213.95:277:20
2313.95:287:20
2413.85:297:19
2513.85:307:19
2613.85:317:19
2713.85:327:18
2813.75:337:18
2913.75:347:17
3013.75:357:17
3113.75:367:16

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 6.35 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.4Intense
116.4Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.4Intense
156.4Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.1Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Port Alfred?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Port Alfred in January

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

In January, Port Alfred sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 20°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Port Alfred in January

The nearest coast averages about 22°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in September near 19°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 4 to Jun 16 — about 7.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swimcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr22Refreshing
May21Refreshing
Jun20Refreshing
Jul19Cool
Aug19Cool
Sep19Cool
Oct19Cool
Nov21Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Port Alfred 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 Port Alfred peaks around January 15 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 highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Port Alfred?

Port Alfred sits at 33.6°S, 26.9°E, 35 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Grahamstown, 45 km away.

Topography around Port Alfred

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Alfred has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 128 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 332 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 906 m.

The land around Port Alfred is covered by trees (39%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, water (41%), trees (33%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and water (36%), grassland (31%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
128 m
16 km
332 m
80 km
906 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Grahamstown 45 km · Alice 89 km · Dimbaza 89 km · Qonce 92 km · Fort Beaufort 93 km · Ndevana 95 km · Bhisho 97 km · Mdantsane 110 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 Port Alfred (-33.586°, 26.8833°, elevation 35 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).