Chirundu weather in January

In January, Chirundu sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 212 mm of rain across 20.6 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of January to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Chirundu's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chirundu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
7th warmest
Overnight low
22°
9th coldest
Rainfall
212 mm
20.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
5:48 AM – 6:40 PM
Cloud cover
75%
12th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.5
out of 10

Chirundu is human settlement.

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 30°C through the month.

A typical January day in Chirundu reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13123
23123
33123
43123
53123
63123
73122
83122
93122
103122
113122
123122
133122
143122
153022
163022
173022
183022
193022
203022
213022
223022
233022
243022
253022
263022
273022
283022
293022
303022
313022

How January really feels in Chirundu

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.

Chirundu 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
Jan30° / 22°21220.612.83.5
Feb30° / 22°14617.212.53.8
Mar31° / 22°8612.312.14.5
Apr31° / 19°202.911.65.8
May29° / 16°10.211.37.4
Jun27° / 14°0011.18.9
Jul26° / 13°0011.19.0
Aug29° / 15°0011.57.4
Sep33° / 19°10.111.94.7
Oct36° / 22°6112.43.0
Nov35° / 24°517.112.72.7
Dec32° / 23°16917.512.93.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% 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 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22674
32674
42674
52674
62674
72773
82773
92872
102773
112773
122674
132674
142575
152476
162575
172575
182575
192575
202575
212674
222674
232674
242773
252773
262773
272773
282872
292872
302971
313070

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Chirundu gets around 212 mm of rain over 20.6 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 67% and peaks near 71% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
163
263
362
462
562
662
763
863
964
1065
1166
1267
1367
1468
1569
1670
1770
1871
1971
2071
2171
2271
2370
2469
2569
2668
2767
2867
2966
3066
3165

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 64% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 93% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1193654
2193555
3193555
41103455
51103455
61103356
71103356
81103257
91103257
10193159
11193159
12183061
13183061
14172963
15172963
16162865
17062866
18052768
19052768
20042670
21042670
22042670
23042670
24032671
25032671
26032671
27032770
28032770
29032770
30032770
31032869

Wind in January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of January to 12 h 42 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 5:40 AM to 5:56 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 6:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:406:36
212.95:406:36
312.95:416:37
412.95:416:37
512.95:426:37
612.95:426:38
712.95:436:38
812.95:446:38
912.95:446:38
1012.95:456:39
1112.95:456:39
1212.95:466:39
1312.95:466:39
1412.95:476:39
1512.95:486:40
1612.95:486:40
1712.95:496:40
1812.85:496:40
1912.85:506:40
2012.85:506:40
2112.85:516:40
2212.85:526:40
2312.85:526:40
2412.85:536:40
2512.85:536:40
2612.85:546:40
2712.85:546:40
2812.85:556:40
2912.75:556:40
3012.75:566:40
3112.75:566:40

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.48 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.64 kWh/m² to a high of 7.21 kWh/m² in October across the year — January's 5.48 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Chirundu

In seasonPeak

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

Chirundu's monsoon runs December–February, 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 Chirundu?

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

3.5
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chirundu.

What to pack for Chirundu in January

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

In January, Chirundu sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Chirundu 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 Chirundu peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jul 10UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Chirundu 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 Chirundu is worst in September — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1037 µg/m³Dec 2112 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug36Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct26Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chirundu?

Chirundu sits at 16.0°S, 28.8°E, 394 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kariba, 54 km away.

PalabanaKafueChilanga TownshipChongweChisankaneNtandabale

Topography around Chirundu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chirundu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 398 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 343 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,110 m.

The land around Chirundu is covered by grassland (39%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, shrubs (54%) within 16 km, and shrubs (45%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
343 m
80 km
1,110 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Kariba 54 km · Siavonga 58 km · Palabana 73 km · Kafue 77 km · Chilanga Township 80 km · Chongwe 80 km · Chisankane 81 km · Ntandabale 85 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 Chirundu (-16.0358°, 28.8431°, elevation 394 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).