Kapiri Mposhi weather in January

In January, Kapiri Mposhi sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 253 mm of rain across 26.4 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 4% 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 Kapiri Mposhi's 12th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kapiri Mposhi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
18°
9th coldest
Rainfall
253 mm
26.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:52 AM – 6:37 PM
Cloud cover
85%
12th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.08 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Kapiri Mposhi is in Kapiri Mposhi District.

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 Kapiri Mposhi reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 8°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 on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12718
22718
32618
42618
52618
62618
72618
82618
92618
102618
112618
122618
132618
142618
152618
162618
172618
182618
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302618
312618

Kapiri Mposhi 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° / 18°25326.412.73.9
Feb26° / 18°19822.412.54.2
Mar27° / 18°14119.412.15.1
Apr26° / 16°255.611.77.4
May25° / 13°30.811.48.8
Jun23° / 11°0011.29.2
Jul23° / 10°10.111.39.1
Aug26° / 13°00.111.59.0
Sep29° / 16°10.411.97.1
Oct31° / 19°132.712.35.5
Nov30° / 19°9313.112.64.6
Dec27° / 19°22624.512.84.2

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 89%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11288
21288
31288
41288
51288
61288
71387
81387
91387
101288
111288
121189
131189
141189
151189
161189
171090
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
291090
301090
311090

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Kapiri Mposhi gets around 253 mm of rain over 26.4 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 85% and peaks near 88% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
183
282
382
482
582
682
782
882
982
1083
1184
1284
1385
1486
1586
1687
1787
1888
1988
2088
2188
2288
2388
2488
2588
2687
2787
2886
2986
3085
3184

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 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 55% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
124058
224157
324157
424256
524355
624355
724454
824454
924553
1014554
1114653
1214653
1314653
1414653
1514653
1614653
1704654
1804654
1904654
2004654
2104654
2204654
2304555
2414554
2514455
2614455
2714356
2814356
2914257
3014158
3124157

Wind in January

Winds average 8 km/h in January, the calmest month.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 8 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
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

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 5:44 AM to 6:00 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 6:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:446:33
212.85:456:33
312.85:456:34
412.85:466:34
512.85:466:34
612.85:476:35
712.85:476:35
812.85:486:35
912.85:486:35
1012.85:496:36
1112.85:506:36
1212.85:506:36
1312.85:516:36
1412.85:516:37
1512.75:526:37
1612.75:526:37
1712.75:536:37
1812.75:536:37
1912.75:546:37
2012.75:546:37
2112.75:556:37
2212.75:566:38
2312.75:566:38
2412.75:576:38
2512.75:576:38
2612.75:586:38
2712.75:586:38
2812.65:596:38
2912.65:596:37
3012.66:006:37
3112.66:006:37

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.08 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.09 kWh/m² in October across the year — January's 5.08 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.0Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
245.0Bright
255.0Bright
265.0Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Kapiri Mposhi

In seasonPeak

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

Kapiri Mposhi'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 Kapiri Mposhi?

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

3.9
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
3.9
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kapiri Mposhi.

What to pack for Kapiri Mposhi in January

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

In January, Kapiri Mposhi sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Kapiri Mposhi 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 Kapiri Mposhi peaks around January 21 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 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 21UV 16Jun 22UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Kapiri Mposhi 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 Kapiri Mposhi is worst in August — around 42 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.7× the cleanest month (April, 9 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModeratePoorModerateAug 1841 µg/m³Apr 199 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar11Good
Apr9Good
May10Good
Jun15Moderate
Jul29Moderate
Aug42Poor
Sep33Moderate
Oct21Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kapiri Mposhi?

Kapiri Mposhi sits at 14.0°S, 28.7°E, 1,265 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kabwe, 58 km away.

MpongweMkushiLuanshyaNdolaMapaloKitweKalulushi

Topography around Kapiri Mposhi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kapiri Mposhi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 86 m around an average of 1,263 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 246 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 861 m.

The land around Kapiri Mposhi is covered by artificial surfaces (34%), cropland (27%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, cropland (30%), shrubs (26%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and trees (36%), grassland (26%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
86 m
16 km
246 m
80 km
861 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Kabwe 58 km · Mpongwe 76 km · Mkushi 87 km · Luanshya 97 km · Ndola 113 km · Mapalo 115 km · Kitwe 139 km · Kalulushi 140 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 Kapiri Mposhi (-13.9715°, 28.6699°, elevation 1,265 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).