Pretoria weather in January

In January, Pretoria sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 103 mm of rain across 14.7 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of January to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Pretoria's 11th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Pretoria's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
1st warmest
Overnight low
18°
12th coldest
Rainfall
103 mm
14.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 24 min
5:33 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
53%
11th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
out of 10

Pretoria is administrative capital of South Africa located in the Gauteng province.

Density
3,073/km²
people per km²
Founded
1855

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 28°C through the month.

A typical January day in Pretoria reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12818
22818
32818
42818
52818
62818
72818
82818
92818
102818
112818
122818
132818
142818
152818
162818
172818
182818
192818
202818
212818
222818
232818
242818
252818
262818
272818
282818
292818
302818
312818

Pretoria weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 18°10314.713.45.8
Feb28° / 18°9311.912.96.0
Mar26° / 16°8310.412.26.8
Apr24° / 13°386.211.47.9
May22° / 152.610.88.6
Jun20° / 71.110.48.5
Jul20° / 30.810.68.6
Aug23° / 71.411.19.0
Sep26° / 13°172.511.88.4
Oct27° / 15°638.412.67.0
Nov27° / 16°9012.413.36.2
Dec27° / 17°11315.213.65.8

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15941
25941
35941
46040
56040
66040
76040
86040
96040
106139
116139
126040
136040
146040
156040
166040
176040
186040
196040
206040
216040
226040
236139
246139
256238
266238
276238
286337
296337
306436
316436

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Pretoria gets around 103 mm of rain over 14.7 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 47% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
147
247
347
446
546
646
746
846
946
1046
1146
1247
1347
1447
1548
1648
1748
1849
1949
2049
2149
2249
2349
2449
2549
2648
2748
2847
2947
3046
3145

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 41% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
11840402
21940402
31939402
41939402
52039392
62040392
72040392
82040382
92041382
101941382
111941382
121941392
131841392
141841402
151840402
161740412
171740422
181640422
191640432
201540432
211540432
221440432
231440432
241441432
251441432
261342432
271342432
281343422
291344412
301344412
311345402

Wind in January

Winds average 10 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 9 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
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of January to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:23 AM to 5:44 AM, and sunset from 6:58 PM to 6:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:236:58
213.65:246:58
313.65:246:58
413.65:256:59
513.65:256:59
613.55:266:59
713.55:276:59
813.55:276:59
913.55:287:00
1013.55:297:00
1113.55:307:00
1213.55:307:00
1313.55:317:00
1413.55:327:00
1513.55:327:00
1613.45:337:00
1713.45:347:00
1813.45:357:00
1913.45:357:00
2013.45:367:00
2113.45:376:59
2213.45:386:59
2313.35:386:59
2413.35:396:59
2513.35:406:59
2613.35:416:58
2713.35:416:58
2813.35:426:58
2913.25:436:58
3013.25:446:57
3113.25:446:57

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.93 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 6.57 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.8Intense
26.8Intense
36.8Intense
46.8Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.7Intense
116.6Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.5Intense
166.5Intense
176.5Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.5Intense
216.5Intense
226.4Intense
236.4Intense
246.4Intense
256.4Intense
266.4Intense
276.5Intense
286.5Intense
296.5Intense
306.5Intense
316.5Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Pretoria

In seasonPeak

In January, Pretoria sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Pretoria's rainy season runs October–March, 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 Pretoria?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Pretoria in January

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

In January, Pretoria sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 18°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Pretoria in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Pretoria peaks around December 23 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighHighVery highExtremeDec 23UV 14Jun 17UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Pretoria 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 Pretoria is worst in July — around 188 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 6.6× the cleanest month (January, 29 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150180210JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthyUnhealthyPoorJul 10187 µg/m³Jan 1229 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan29Moderate
Feb43Poor
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr114Unhealthy
May169Very unhealthy
Jun185Very unhealthy
Jul188Very unhealthy
Aug142Unhealthy
Sep108Unhealthy
Oct62Unhealthy
Nov43Poor
Dec32Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Pretoria?

Pretoria sits at 25.7°S, 28.2°E, 1,332 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Centurion, 13 km away.

Topography around Pretoria

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Pretoria has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 217 m around an average of 1,328 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 407 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 888 m.

The land around Pretoria is covered by artificial surfaces (59%) and trees (30%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (39%), grassland (30%) and trees (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (48%) within 80 km.

3 km
217 m
16 km
407 m
80 km
888 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Centurion 13 km · Midstream 19 km · Ga-Rankuwa 24 km · Midrand 27 km · Diepsloot 27 km · Ivory Park 28 km · Thembisa 28 km · Mabopane 29 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 Pretoria (-25.7449°, 28.1878°, elevation 1,332 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. 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).