Mata-Utu weather in January

In January, Mata-Utu sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 355 mm of rain across 26.2 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-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 13% of the time in January, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of January to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Mata-Utu's 12th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mata-Utu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
4th warmest
Overnight low
26°
9th coldest
Rainfall
355 mm
26.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:33 AM – 6:15 PM
Cloud cover
78%
12th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.95 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Mata-Utu is capital of Wallis and Futuna.

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 Mata-Utu reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°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 Mata-Utu

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.

Mata-Utu weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 4th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°35526.212.73.7
Feb28° / 26°33023.612.43.7
Mar28° / 26°30425.812.13.7
Apr28° / 26°23424.311.73.9
May28° / 26°18121.711.44.6
Jun28° / 26°14519.611.25.0
Jul27° / 26°12218.711.35.4
Aug27° / 26°11619.211.65.3
Sep27° / 26°14520.611.95.0
Oct27° / 26°21723.212.34.5
Nov28° / 26°26124.212.64.2
Dec28° / 26°32425.412.84.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 76%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22674
32674
42674
52575
62575
72575
82575
92476
102476
112377
122377
132377
142278
152179
162179
172179
182179
192179
202179
212179
222278
232278
242278
252377
262377
272476
282476
292575
302575
312674

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Mata-Utu gets around 355 mm of rain over 26.2 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 84% and peaks near 85% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
185
285
385
485
585
685
785
885
985
1085
1185
1285
1385
1485
1584
1684
1784
1884
1984
2084
2184
2284
2384
2484
2584
2684
2784
2884
2984
3084
3184

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the miserable band about 62% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
103565
203565
303565
403565
503565
613564
713564
813564
913564
1013663
1113663
1213663
1313762
1413861
1513861
1613960
1713960
1814059
1914059
2014059
2114158
2214158
2304159
2404159
2504159
2604060
2704060
2803961
2903862
3003862
3103763

Wind in January

Winds average 18 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 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
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of January to 12 h 36 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 5:25 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 6:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:256:11
212.85:256:11
312.85:266:12
412.85:266:12
512.85:276:12
612.85:276:13
712.85:286:13
812.75:296:13
912.75:296:14
1012.75:306:14
1112.75:306:14
1212.75:316:14
1312.75:316:15
1412.75:326:15
1512.75:326:15
1612.75:336:15
1712.75:336:15
1812.75:346:15
1912.75:346:16
2012.75:356:16
2112.75:356:16
2212.75:366:16
2312.75:376:16
2412.65:376:16
2512.65:386:16
2612.65:386:16
2712.65:386:16
2812.65:396:16
2912.65:396:16
3012.65:406:16
3112.65:406:16

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.95 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.29 kWh/m² to a high of 5.97 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 5.95 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Bright
86.0Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Mata-Utu?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Mata-Utu.

What to pack for Mata-Utu in January

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

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

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Mata-Utu 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 offshore is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Tropical
Sep28Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Mata-Utu 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 Mata-Utu peaks around February 14 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 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 highExtremeFeb 14UV 17Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mata-Utu?

Mata-Utu sits at 13.3°S, 176.2°W, 15 m above sea level, in Wallis and Futuna. The nearest listed city is Apia, 480 km away.

Topography around Mata-Utu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mata-Utu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 142 m around an average of 28 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 147 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 141 m.

The land around Mata-Utu is covered by trees (46%) and water (46%) within 3 km, water (91%) within 16 km, and water (98%) within 80 km.

3 km
142 m
16 km
147 m
80 km
141 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
January weather nearby: Apia 480 km · Labasa 594 km · Pago Pago 601 km · Levuka 718 km · Funafuti 732 km · Nasinu 779 km · Lami 790 km · Suva 791 km

Wallis and Futuna travel facts

Religion
Roman Catholic 99%other 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 Mata-Utu (-13.2816°, -176.1745°, elevation 15 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).