Shakaskraal weather in January

In January, Shakaskraal sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 104 mm of rain across 13.7 wet days and about 13.7 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of January to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Shakaskraal's 9th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shakaskraal's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
22°
11th coldest
Rainfall
104 mm
13.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 42 min
5:14 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
58%
9th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
6.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Shakaskraal reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 30°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)
12622
22622
32622
42622
52622
62722
72722
82722
92722
102722
112722
122722
132722
142722
152722
162722
172722
182722
192722
202722
212722
222722
232722
242722
252722
262722
272722
282722
292722
302723
312723

Shakaskraal weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 22°10413.713.76.1
Feb27° / 23°9312.213.16.1
Mar26° / 22°9711.912.26.6
Apr25° / 20°849.611.37.2
May24° / 18°556.310.58.1
Jun22° / 16°355.410.18.1
Jul22° / 15°53610.37.9
Aug22° / 16°406.610.97.7
Sep23° / 17°729.811.87.0
Oct23° / 18°10213.412.76.3
Nov24° / 20°10914.113.56.1
Dec26° / 21°10313.813.96.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% 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 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24951
35050
44951
54951
64951
74951
84951
94951
104951
114852
124951
134951
144852
154852
164852
174753
184852
194852
204852
214852
224852
234852
244951
254951
265050
275050
285149
295149
305248
315248

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Shakaskraal gets around 104 mm of rain over 13.7 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 44% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
243
343
443
543
643
743
843
944
1044
1144
1244
1344
1444
1544
1644
1744
1844
1944
2044
2144
2244
2344
2444
2544
2644
2744
2844
2944
3044
3144

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 45% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 85% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
121544380
221544390
331543390
431543390
531543390
631543390
731443390
831443400
931443401
1031443391
1131443391
1231444391
1331344391
1431344391
1531345391
1631345391
1731245391
1821245391
1921246401
2021246401
2121146401
2221147401
2321147401
2421147401
2511047401
2611047401
271947411
281947411
291947421
301946421
311946431

Wind in January

Winds average 17 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 16 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
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of January to 13 h 24 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 5:03 AM to 5:26 AM, and sunset from 6:54 PM to 6:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:036:54
213.95:036:54
313.85:046:54
413.85:056:55
513.85:056:55
613.85:066:55
713.85:076:55
813.85:076:55
913.85:086:55
1013.85:096:55
1113.85:106:55
1213.85:106:55
1313.75:116:55
1413.75:126:55
1513.75:136:55
1613.75:146:55
1713.75:146:55
1813.75:156:55
1913.65:166:55
2013.65:176:55
2113.65:186:54
2213.65:186:54
2313.65:196:54
2413.65:206:54
2513.55:216:53
2613.55:226:53
2713.55:236:53
2813.55:236:52
2913.55:246:52
3013.45:256:51
3113.45:266:51

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.01 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.16 kWh/m² to a high of 6.01 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 6.01 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
245.9Bright
255.9Bright
265.9Bright
275.9Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Shakaskraal

In seasonPeak

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

Shakaskraal sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

Is January a good time to visit Shakaskraal?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Shakaskraal in January

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

In January, Shakaskraal sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 22°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Shakaskraal in January

The nearest coast averages about 25°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 February at about 25°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

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

20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr24Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in Shakaskraal in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shakaskraal peaks around January 15 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 12Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Shakaskraal 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 Shakaskraal is worst in July — around 43 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.5× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodJul 1442 µg/m³Jan 198 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May33Moderate
Jun40Poor
Jul43Poor
Aug35Poor
Sep29Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shakaskraal?

Shakaskraal sits at 29.4°S, 31.2°E, 36 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ballitoville, 10 km away.

Topography around Shakaskraal

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shakaskraal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 197 m around an average of 59 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 596 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,533 m.

The land around Shakaskraal is covered by trees (36%), grassland (32%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, water (28%), trees (27%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), water (29%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
197 m
16 km
596 m
80 km
1,533 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Ballitoville 10 km · KwaDukuza 15 km · Tongaat 17 km · Mandeni 39 km · Ntuzuma 41 km · Durban 49 km · Pinetown 52 km · Eshowe 67 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 Shakaskraal (-29.4493°, 31.2153°, elevation 36 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).