Wau weather in January

In January, Wau sees average daytime highs of 35°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 0 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 11.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Wau's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wau's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
4th warmest
Overnight low
23°
4th coldest
Rainfall
0 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 36 min
7:29 AM – 7:05 PM
Cloud cover
41%
2nd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.22 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.0
out of 10

Wau is city in northwestern South Sudan.

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 35°C through the month.

A typical January day in Wau reaches about 35°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 32°C and 38°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and about 2°C cooler than February.

15°20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13523
23523
33522
43522
53522
63522
73522
83522
93522
103522
113522
123522
133522
143522
153522
163522
173523
183523
193523
203523
213623
223623
233623
243623
253623
263623
273623
283623
293623
303623
313623

How January really feels in Wau

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in January is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Wau weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 23°00.211.63.0
Feb37° / 24°30.711.71.8
Mar38° / 26°204.211.91.3
Apr36° / 26°5812.712.21.7
May34° / 25°11819.512.32.4
Jun32° / 23°12720.512.43.0
Jul30° / 23°16623.512.43.3
Aug30° / 22°19224.812.33.3
Sep31° / 22°15523.2123.1
Oct32° / 23°12520.211.83.1
Nov34° / 23°173.911.63.6
Dec35° / 23°10.211.63.3

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27228
37030
47030
56931
66931
76832
86733
96733
106733
116634
126634
136634
146634
156634
166634
176634
186634
196733
206832
216832
226832
236832
246832
256832
266931
277030
286931
296931
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Wau gets around 0 mm of rain over 0.2 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
171
181
191
201
211
221
231
241
251
261
271
281
291
301
311

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
194330
294330
394330
494330
594330
695230
795230
896220
996220
1096220
1196220
1296220
1396220
1496220
1596220
1696220
1796220
1896220
1995320
2095320
2195320
2295320
2394321
2494321
2594321
2694321
2794321
2894321
2995311
3095311
3195311

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 11 h 36 min at the start of January to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:24 AM to 7:32 AM, and sunset from 6:58 PM to 7:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.67:246:58
211.67:256:58
311.67:256:59
411.67:266:59
511.67:267:00
611.67:267:00
711.67:277:01
811.67:277:01
911.67:277:02
1011.67:287:02
1111.67:287:03
1211.67:287:03
1311.67:297:04
1411.67:297:04
1511.67:297:05
1611.67:297:05
1711.67:307:06
1811.67:307:06
1911.67:307:07
2011.67:307:07
2111.67:307:07
2211.67:317:08
2311.67:317:08
2411.67:317:09
2511.67:317:09
2611.67:317:09
2711.67:317:10
2811.67:317:10
2911.77:317:11
3011.77:317:11
3111.77:327:11

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.22 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.2 kWh/m² to a high of 6.55 kWh/m² in February across the year — January's 6.22 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
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.4Intense
296.4Intense
306.4Intense
316.4Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Wau

In seasonPeak

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

Wau's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Wau?

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

3.0
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Wau. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Wau in January

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

In January, Wau sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Wau in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wau peaks around March 19 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 11 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highMar 19UV 13Dec 11UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in Wau 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 Wau is worst in November — around 59 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.9× the cleanest month (August, 10 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateModerateModerateGoodModeratePoorNov 2158 µg/m³Aug 2410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan23Moderate
Feb30Moderate
Mar37Poor
Apr22Moderate
May11Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug10Good
Sep10Good
Oct15Moderate
Nov59Unhealthy
Dec52Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Wau?

Wau sits at 7.7°N, 28.0°E, 440 m above sea level, in South Sudan. The nearest listed city is Kuacjok, 67 km away.

TonjGogrialAweilWinejokRumbekAbyeiLeer

Topography around Wau

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Wau has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 58 m around an average of 447 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 198 m.

The land around Wau is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and grassland (34%) within 3 km, grassland (70%) within 16 km, and grassland (46%) and shrubs (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
58 m
16 km
112 m
80 km
198 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Kuacjok 67 km · Tonj 89 km · Gogrial 93 km · Aweil 135 km · Winejok 153 km · Rumbek 211 km · Abyei 216 km · Leer 246 km

South Sudan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Prices
≈ 6% of US
price level, 2021
GDP per capita
$1,080
2015
Happiness
2.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2019
Homicide rate
14
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
36.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
Religion
Christian 61%folk religion 33%Muslim 6%

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 Wau (7.7011°, 27.9897°, elevation 440 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).