Dakhla weather in January

In January, Dakhla sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 4 mm of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 10.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Dakhla's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dakhla's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
9th warmest
Overnight low
16°
1st coldest
Rainfall
4 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 42 min
7:53 AM – 6:34 PM
Cloud cover
25%
8th clearest
Wind
23 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.54 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
out of 10

Dakhla is city in Western Sahara.

Founded
1884

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 19°C through the month.

A typical January day in Dakhla reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12016
22016
32016
41916
51916
61916
71916
81916
91916
101916
111916
121916
131916
141916
151916
161916
171916
181916
191916
201916
211916
221916
231916
241916
251916
261916
271916
281916
291916
301916
311916

Dakhla weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 16°40.710.78.1
Feb19° / 16°20.511.28.1
Mar19° / 17°30.311.88.3
Apr19° / 17°10.112.58.2
May20° / 18°00.113.18.3
Jun20° / 19°00.113.48.8
Jul21° / 20°0013.38.9
Aug22° / 21°10.212.89.1
Sep22° / 21°60.512.19.0
Oct22° / 21°30.411.48.7
Nov21° / 19°20.210.98.5
Dec20° / 17°50.510.68.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27723
37921
48020
58020
68119
78218
88218
98218
108317
118317
128317
138416
148416
158416
168416
178416
188416
198416
208416
218416
228317
238317
248317
258317
268218
278218
288218
298218
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Dakhla gets around 4 mm of rain over 0.7 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 2% and peaks near 2% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
12
22
32
42
52
62
72
82
92
102
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
212
222
232
242
252
262
272
282
292
302
312

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 65% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15930101
2603091
3603190
4613180
5613180
6623170
7633070
8643060
9643060
10643060
11653050
12662950
13672940
14672940
15672940
16682930
17682930
18682930
19682930
20682930
21673030
22673030
23673030
24663040
25663040
26663040
27653050
28653050
29653050
30643060
31633160

Wind in January

Winds average 23 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
523breezy
623breezy
723breezy
823breezy
923breezy
1023breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1724breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of January to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:50 AM to 7:50 AM, and sunset from 6:24 PM to 6:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.67:506:24
210.67:506:24
310.67:516:25
410.67:516:26
510.67:516:26
610.67:516:27
710.67:526:28
810.67:526:28
910.67:526:29
1010.67:526:30
1110.67:526:30
1210.67:526:31
1310.77:526:32
1410.77:526:32
1510.77:526:33
1610.77:536:34
1710.77:536:34
1810.77:526:35
1910.77:526:36
2010.77:526:37
2110.77:526:37
2210.87:526:38
2310.87:526:39
2410.87:526:39
2510.87:526:40
2610.87:516:41
2710.87:516:41
2810.97:516:42
2910.97:516:43
3010.97:506:44
3110.97:506:44

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.54 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.21 kWh/m² to a high of 7.62 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 4.54 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.9Bright
314.9Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Dakhla

In seasonPeak

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

Dakhla sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Dakhla sees seasonal dust haze (June–October), heaviest in July.

Atlantic hurricane
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Dakhla?

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

8.1
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is one of the better times to visit Dakhla for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Dakhla in January

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

In January, Dakhla sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: sun protection and a windbreaker.

sun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Dakhla in January

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 18 km away) is warmest in October at about 21°C and coldest in February near 18°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 9 to Nov 2 — about 2.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr18Cool
May18Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul19Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep20Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Dakhla in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dakhla peaks around August 22 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateAug 22UV 10Dec 18UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb7Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr8Very high
May10Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep10Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov6High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Dakhla 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 Dakhla is worst in December — around 48 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.0× the cleanest month (May, 16 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorDec 2448 µg/m³May 1016 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan47Poor
Feb40Poor
Mar31Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul29Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep30Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov25Moderate
Dec48Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Dakhla?

Dakhla sits at 23.7°N, 16.0°W, 6 m above sea level, in Western Sahara. The nearest listed city is Boujdour, 310 km away.

BoujdourNouadhibouZouératPlaya del InglesMaspalomasEl MarsaAtarMogán

Topography around Dakhla

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dakhla has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 15 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 57 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 252 m.

The land around Dakhla is covered by water (49%) and bare terrain (32%) within 3 km, water (84%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (58%) and water (42%) within 80 km.

3 km
15 m
16 km
57 m
80 km
252 m
artificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Boujdour 310 km · Nouadhibou 325 km · Zouérat 372 km · Playa del Ingles 454 km · Maspalomas 455 km · El Marsa 457 km · Atar 462 km · Mogán 467 km

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Dakhla (23.6848°, -15.958°, elevation 6 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. 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).