Chipata weather in January

In January, Chipata sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 279 mm of rain across 27.4 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

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 Chipata's 12th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chipata's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
19°
9th coldest
Rainfall
279 mm
27.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:37 AM – 6:20 PM
Cloud cover
87%
12th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Chipata is city.

Founded
1899

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 26°C through the month.

A typical January day in Chipata reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12619
22619
32619
42619
52619
62619
72619
82619
92619
102619
112619
122619
132619
142619
152619
162619
172619
182619
192619
202619
212619
222619
232619
242619
252619
262619
272619
282619
292619
302619
312619

Chipata weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 19°27927.412.73.8
Feb26° / 18°21922.712.54.2
Mar26° / 18°16621.612.14.8
Apr26° / 16°357.311.77.2
May25° / 14°51.211.48.7
Jun24° / 12°10.111.29.1
Jul23° / 11°10.211.39.0
Aug26° / 13°10.211.58.8
Sep29° / 16°20.411.97.5
Oct31° / 19°183.412.35.7
Nov30° / 20°781212.64.6
Dec27° / 19°24025.212.84.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 91%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21288
31288
41288
51288
61288
71090
8991
9991
10892
11892
12892
13892
14892
15793
16793
17793
18793
19793
20793
21793
22892
23892
24892
25892
26892
27892
28892
29892
30892
31892

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Chipata gets around 279 mm of rain over 27.4 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 88% and peaks near 89% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
187
287
387
487
587
687
788
888
988
1088
1189
1289
1389
1489
1589
1689
1788
1888
1988
2088
2188
2288
2388
2488
2588
2688
2788
2888
2987
3087
3187

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 82% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 82% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
111980
211980
311980
411980
511980
611980
701981
801981
901981
1001981
1101981
1201882
1301882
1401882
1501882
1601882
1701882
1801882
1901783
2001783
2101783
2201783
2301783
2401783
2501783
2601783
2701783
2801783
2901882
3001882
3101882

Wind in January

Winds average 7 km/h in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

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 5:29 AM to 5:45 AM, and sunset from 6:16 PM to 6:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:296:16
212.85:296:17
312.85:306:17
412.85:306:17
512.85:316:18
612.85:326:18
712.85:326:18
812.85:336:19
912.85:336:19
1012.85:346:19
1112.85:346:19
1212.75:356:20
1312.75:356:20
1412.75:366:20
1512.75:366:20
1612.75:376:20
1712.75:386:21
1812.75:386:21
1912.75:396:21
2012.75:396:21
2112.75:406:21
2212.75:406:21
2312.75:416:21
2412.75:416:21
2512.75:426:21
2612.75:426:21
2712.65:436:21
2812.65:436:21
2912.65:446:21
3012.65:446:21
3112.65:456:21

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.88 kWh/m² to a high of 6.82 kWh/m² in October across the year — January's 5.17 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Chipata

In seasonPeak

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

Chipata's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is January a good time to visit Chipata?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
3.7
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chipata.

What to pack for Chipata in January

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

In January, Chipata sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 19°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 27 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Chipata 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 Chipata peaks around January 19 at about 16 (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 highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Chipata 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 Chipata is worst in August — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodAug 1926 µg/m³Dec 1811 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chipata?

Chipata sits at 13.6°S, 32.6°E, 1,147 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Mchinji, 31 km away.

KateteKasunguSindaMponelaLilongwePetaukeLundazi

Topography around Chipata

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chipata has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 498 m around an average of 1,209 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 735 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,173 m.

The land around Chipata is covered by artificial surfaces (34%), shrubs (28%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, cropland (34%), trees (24%) and shrubs (24%) within 16 km, and cropland (38%), trees (25%) and shrubs (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
498 m
16 km
735 m
80 km
1,173 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Mchinji 31 km · Katete 77 km · Kasungu 112 km · Sinda 115 km · Mponela 118 km · Lilongwe 128 km · Petauke 159 km · Lundazi 160 km

Zambia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 30% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,318
2025
Happiness
4.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
5.2
per 100k, 2015
Road deaths
20.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 573
Religion
Protestant 75%Roman Catholic 20%other 3%none 2%

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 Chipata (-13.6333°, 32.65°, elevation 1,147 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. 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).