Mtwara weather in January

In January, Mtwara sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 186 mm of rain across 20.5 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-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 23% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of January to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Mtwara's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mtwara's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
5th warmest
Overnight low
26°
12th coldest
Rainfall
186 mm
20.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
6:12 AM – 6:45 PM
Cloud cover
68%
11th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Mtwara is city.

Founded
1971

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 Mtwara reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How January really feels in Mtwara

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Mtwara weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°18620.512.54.8
Feb28° / 26°14518.412.34.7
Mar28° / 26°18223.812.14.1
Apr28° / 25°11518.511.84.8
May28° / 25°387.211.56.9
Jun27° / 23°81.811.48.1
Jul26° / 23°51.311.58.4
Aug26° / 23°61.611.78.6
Sep26° / 23°103.211.98.5
Oct26° / 24°20612.27.9
Nov27° / 25°4210.712.56.8
Dec28° / 26°12320.912.65.1

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34357
44258
54159
63961
73862
83763
93763
103763
113664
123763
133763
143763
153763
163763
173862
183862
193961
203961
213961
224060
234060
244060
254060
264060
273961
283862
293862
303862
313763

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mtwara gets around 186 mm of rain over 20.5 wet days in January, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 67% and peaks near 72% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
172
272
372
472
572
672
772
872
972
1072
1172
1271
1371
1470
1569
1668
1767
1866
1965
2064
2163
2262
2361
2461
2560
2660
2760
2860
2961
3061
3162

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
15842
25842
35842
45941
56040
66139
76238
86337
96436
106535
116634
126733
136832
146931
156931
167030
177030
187030
196931
206931
216931
226832
236832
246733
256733
266634
276634
286535
296535
306535
316535

Wind in January

Winds average 20 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of January to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:05 AM to 6:19 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 6:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.66:056:40
212.66:056:41
312.66:066:41
412.66:066:41
512.66:076:42
612.66:076:42
712.66:086:42
812.66:086:43
912.66:096:43
1012.66:096:43
1112.66:106:44
1212.66:106:44
1312.66:116:44
1412.56:116:44
1512.56:126:45
1612.56:126:45
1712.56:136:45
1812.56:136:45
1912.56:146:45
2012.56:146:45
2112.56:156:46
2212.56:156:46
2312.56:166:46
2412.56:166:46
2512.56:176:46
2612.56:176:46
2712.56:176:46
2812.56:186:46
2912.56:186:46
3012.56:196:46
3112.56:196:46

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.8 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.9 kWh/m² to a high of 6.77 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 5.8 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Mtwara

In seasonPeak

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

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

Mtwara's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Mtwara?

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

4.8
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Mtwara for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mtwara in January

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

In January, Mtwara sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Mtwara in January

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 17 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Mtwara 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 Mtwara peaks around March 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 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 highExtremeMar 13UV 15Jun 21UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mtwara?

Mtwara sits at 10.3°S, 40.2°E, 21 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Lindi, 59 km away.

KitamaTandahimbaNyangaoNangangaLuchinguMocímboa

Topography around Mtwara

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mtwara has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 43 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 163 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 460 m.

The land around Mtwara is covered by water (38%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, water (39%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
43 m
16 km
163 m
80 km
460 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Lindi 59 km · Nanyamba 60 km · Kitama 70 km · Tandahimba 81 km · Nyangao 99 km · Nanganga 114 km · Luchingu 117 km · Mocímboa 118 km

Tanzania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,319
2025
Happiness
3.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.7
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
31.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 479
Religion
Christian 63%Muslim 34%folk religion 1%

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 Mtwara (-10.2667°, 40.1833°, elevation 21 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).