Sumbawanga weather in January

In January, Sumbawanga sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 304 mm of rain across 28.4 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of January to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Sumbawanga's 12th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sumbawanga's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
12th warmest
Overnight low
14°
9th coldest
Rainfall
304 mm
28.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
6:50 AM – 7:15 PM
Cloud cover
89%
12th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Sumbawanga is city located in western Tanzania.

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 22°C through the month.

A typical January day in Sumbawanga reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12214
22214
32214
42214
52214
62214
72214
82214
92214
102214
112214
122214
132214
142214
152214
162214
172214
182214
192214
202214
212214
222214
232214
242214
252214
262214
272214
282214
292214
302214
312214

Sumbawanga weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 14°30428.412.43.7
Feb22° / 14°23923.612.34.0
Mar22° / 14°2792612.14.1
Apr22° / 14°16018.811.85.2
May23° / 13°305.111.67.7
Jun23° / 11°20.211.58.6
Jul23° / 11°10.211.68.7
Aug24° / 12°20.411.78.8
Sep25° / 14°81.1128.5
Oct25° / 15°405.712.27.4
Nov24° / 15°14815.612.45.7
Dec22° / 14°28226.412.54.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 4% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 93%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1991
2892
3892
4793
5793
6793
7793
8793
9793
10694
11694
12694
13694
14694
15694
16694
17694
18694
19793
20793
21793
22793
23793
24793
25793
26793
27793
28694
29694
30694
31694

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Sumbawanga gets around 304 mm of rain over 28.4 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 91% and peaks near 93% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
191
291
391
491
592
692
792
892
992
1092
1192
1293
1393
1493
1593
1693
1792
1892
1992
2092
2192
2292
2391
2491
2591
2690
2790
2890
2989
3089
3189

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 78% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
147818
237918
337819
437819
527919
627919
727820
817920
917920
1017920
1117920
1217920
1317821
1407921
1507921
1607921
1707921
1807921
1907921
2017821
2117821
2217821
2317821
2417821
2517821
2617821
2717821
2817722
2917722
3017722
3117623

Wind in January

Winds average 5 km/h in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of January to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:43 AM to 6:56 AM, and sunset from 7:10 PM to 7:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.56:437:10
212.56:447:11
312.56:447:11
412.56:457:12
512.46:457:12
612.46:457:12
712.46:467:13
812.46:467:13
912.46:477:13
1012.46:477:14
1112.46:487:14
1212.46:487:14
1312.46:497:15
1412.46:497:15
1512.46:507:15
1612.46:507:15
1712.46:517:16
1812.46:517:16
1912.46:527:16
2012.46:527:16
2112.46:537:16
2212.46:537:17
2312.46:537:17
2412.46:547:17
2512.46:547:17
2612.46:557:17
2712.46:557:17
2812.46:557:17
2912.46:567:17
3012.46:567:17
3112.36:567:17

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.08 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.08 kWh/m² to a high of 6.79 kWh/m² in September across the year — January's 5.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.1Bright
55.1Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.1Bright
235.1Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Sumbawanga

In seasonPeak

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

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

Sumbawanga's monsoon runs November–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 Sumbawanga?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sumbawanga.

What to pack for Sumbawanga in January

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

In January, Sumbawanga sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 14°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 28 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Sumbawanga in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 16 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sumbawanga peaks around February 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 19UV 16Jun 17UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Sumbawanga 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 Sumbawanga is worst in September — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (May, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1223 µg/m³May 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb11Good
Mar9Good
Apr7Good
May6Good
Jun9Good
Jul15Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sumbawanga?

Sumbawanga sits at 8.0°S, 31.6°E, 1,833 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Matai, 39 km away.

NamanyereLaelaMbalaMpulunguUseviaKirando

Topography around Sumbawanga

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sumbawanga has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 126 m around an average of 1,833 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,171 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,666 m.

The land around Sumbawanga is covered by artificial surfaces (44%) and cropland (34%) within 3 km, cropland (55%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and cropland (32%), trees (20%) and water (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
126 m
16 km
1,171 m
80 km
1,666 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Matai 39 km · Chala 57 km · Namanyere 80 km · Laela 82 km · Mbala 101 km · Mpulungu 104 km · Usevia 105 km · Kirando 128 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 Sumbawanga (-7.9667°, 31.6167°, elevation 1,833 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). 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).