Montevideo weather in January

In January, Montevideo sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 67 mm of rain across 5.8 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of January to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Montevideo's 1st-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Montevideo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
1st warmest
Overnight low
21°
11th coldest
Rainfall
67 mm
5.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
6:51 AM – 8:57 PM
Cloud cover
39%
1st clearest
Wind
22 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
7.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Montevideo is capital and largest city of Uruguay.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 12 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
1,741/km²
people per km²
Founded
1726

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 24°C through the month.

A typical January day in Montevideo reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 26°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)
12320
22320
32320
42320
52420
62420
72420
82420
92421
102421
112421
122421
132421
142421
152421
162421
172421
182421
192421
202421
212421
222421
232421
242421
252421
262421
272421
282421
292421
302421
312421

Montevideo weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 21°675.814.18.0
Feb24° / 21°917.413.37.5
Mar22° / 20°977.812.37.3
Apr19° / 17°1078.411.16.5
May16° / 14°877.910.25.4
Jun14° / 11°908.69.74.0
Jul12° / 10°968.79.93.4
Aug13° / 11°978.410.73.9
Sep15° / 12°928.311.84.6
Oct17° / 14°1118.812.95.7
Nov20° / 17°1017.713.86.8
Dec22° / 19°736.814.37.5

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in January, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16832
26832
36832
46832
56931
66931
77030
86931
97030
107030
117129
127129
137129
147228
157228
167327
177228
187228
197228
207228
217228
227228
237129
247129
257030
267030
276931
286832
296832
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Montevideo gets around 67 mm of rain over 5.8 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 19% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
219
319
419
519
619
719
819
919
1019
1118
1218
1318
1418
1518
1618
1717
1817
1918
2018
2118
2218
2319
2419
2520
2620
2721
2822
2923
3023
3124

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 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 49% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
19143036110
29143036110
39143035120
49143035120
59143034120
69143133130
79143133130
89153133130
99153032130
109153032130
119163033130
129162933120
139162934120
149172834120
159172835110
169172736110
179172637110
189172638100
198172639100
208172539100
218172440101
228172440111
237172341111
247162342111
257162342121
267162242121
277152242131
287152242131
297142341141
307142341141
317142340151

Wind in January

Winds average 22 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2023breezy
2123breezy
2223breezy
2323breezy
2423breezy
2523breezy
2623breezy
2723breezy
2823breezy
2923breezy
3023breezy
3123breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of January to 13 h 48 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 6:39 AM to 7:05 AM, and sunset from 8:57 PM to 8:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.36:398:57
214.36:398:57
314.36:408:58
414.36:418:58
514.36:428:58
614.36:428:58
714.26:438:58
814.26:448:58
914.26:458:58
1014.26:468:58
1114.26:468:58
1214.26:478:58
1314.26:488:58
1414.16:498:58
1514.16:508:57
1614.16:518:57
1714.16:528:57
1814.16:538:57
1914.06:548:56
2014.06:558:56
2114.06:568:56
2214.06:578:55
2314.06:578:55
2413.96:588:55
2513.96:598:54
2613.97:008:54
2713.97:018:53
2813.87:028:53
2913.87:038:52
3013.87:048:51
3113.87:058:51

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.18 kWh/m² to a high of 7.54 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.36 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.5Intense
27.5Intense
37.5Intense
47.5Intense
57.5Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.5Intense
97.5Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.4Intense
167.4Intense
177.4Intense
187.4Intense
197.3Intense
207.3Intense
217.3Intense
227.3Intense
237.2Intense
247.2Intense
257.1Intense
267.1Intense
277.0Intense
287.0Intense
296.9Intense
306.9Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Montevideo?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Montevideo for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Montevideo in January

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

In January, Montevideo sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 21°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker. About 6 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesa windbreaker

Sea temperature near Montevideo in January

The nearest coast averages about 23°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 24°C and coldest in July near 11°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 27 to Apr 9 — about 4.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan23Refreshing
Feb24Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May16Cool
Jun13Bracing
Jul11Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct16Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec22Refreshing

UV index in Montevideo 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 Montevideo peaks around January 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Montevideo 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 Montevideo is worst in August — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.6× the cleanest month (February, 10 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Montevideo's WHO annual average of 12 µg/m³.

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1416 µg/m³Feb 2210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb10Good
Mar10Good
Apr11Good
May12Moderate
Jun13Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct12Good
Nov10Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Montevideo?

Montevideo sits at 34.9°S, 56.2°W, 34 m above sea level, in Uruguay. The nearest listed city is Paso de Carrasco, 13 km away.

Canelones

Topography around Montevideo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Montevideo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 56 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 130 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 394 m.

The land around Montevideo is covered by artificial surfaces (55%) and water (38%) within 3 km, water (53%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 16 km, and water (43%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
56 m
16 km
130 m
80 km
394 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
January weather nearby: Paso de Carrasco 13 km · La Paz 16 km · Las Piedras 19 km · Delta del Tigre 22 km · Barros Blancos 24 km · Progreso 26 km · Pando 29 km · Canelones 43 km

Uruguay travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / I / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 66% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$25,216
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 542
Religion
none 47%Roman Catholic 37%Protestant 15%atheist 10%

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 Montevideo (-34.9033°, -56.1882°, elevation 34 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. 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).