Maamba weather in January

In January, Maamba sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 309 mm of rain across 22.9 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-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 18% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Maamba's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Maamba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
5th warmest
Overnight low
20°
10th coldest
Rainfall
309 mm
22.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
5:53 AM – 6:49 PM
Cloud cover
73%
12th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.0
out of 10

Maamba is city in Zambia.

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 Maamba reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12920
22920
32920
42920
52920
62920
72920
82920
92820
102820
112820
122820
132820
142820
152820
162820
172820
182820
192820
202820
212820
222820
232820
242820
252820
262820
272820
282820
292820
302820
312820

How January really feels in Maamba

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Maamba weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 20°30922.912.94.0
Feb28° / 20°22719.212.64.3
Mar28° / 19°13917.512.15.2
Apr27° / 17°437.311.67.4
May26° / 13°61.311.28.9
Jun24° / 11°20.5119.4
Jul23° / 11°10.411.19.4
Aug26° / 13°00.211.49.2
Sep30° / 17°10.311.96.9
Oct32° / 20°11212.45.1
Nov31° / 21°10511.112.84.3
Dec29° / 20°26621.8134.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% 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 70%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
22971
32971
42971
52971
63169
73169
83169
93169
103070
113070
122971
133070
143070
152971
162971
172971
182971
192971
202971
212971
222971
232971
242971
253070
263070
273070
283169
293268
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Maamba gets around 309 mm of rain over 22.9 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 74% and peaks near 77% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
172
271
371
471
571
671
771
871
971
1072
1173
1273
1374
1475
1575
1676
1776
1877
1977
2077
2177
2277
2377
2477
2576
2676
2775
2874
2974
3073
3173

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 69% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 93% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1177022
2186922
3186922
4186922
5186922
6196822
7196822
8196822
9196822
10196723
11196723
12186823
13086824
14076924
15076924
16066925
17066925
18057025
19057025
20056926
21056926
22056926
23047026
24047026
25047026
26047026
27056926
28056926
29056926
30056926
31056827

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 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
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 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 48 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 6:01 AM, and sunset from 6:45 PM to 6:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:446:45
213.05:446:46
313.05:456:46
413.05:466:46
513.05:466:46
613.05:476:47
713.05:476:47
813.05:486:47
913.05:496:48
1013.05:496:48
1113.05:506:48
1213.05:506:48
1313.05:516:48
1412.95:516:48
1512.95:526:49
1612.95:536:49
1712.95:536:49
1812.95:546:49
1912.95:546:49
2012.95:556:49
2112.95:566:49
2212.95:566:49
2312.95:576:49
2412.95:576:49
2512.85:586:49
2612.85:596:49
2712.85:596:49
2812.86:006:49
2912.86:006:49
3012.86:016:48
3112.86:016:48

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.65 kWh/m² to a high of 7.29 kWh/m² in October across the year — January's 5.72 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Maamba

In seasonPeak

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

Maamba'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 Maamba?

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

4.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Maamba for sightseeing.

What to pack for Maamba in January

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

In January, Maamba sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 23 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Maamba in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 17 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Maamba peaks around January 18 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 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 18UV 16Jun 22UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan17Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Maamba 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 Maamba is worst in September — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (April, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1824 µg/m³Apr 216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr6Good
May6Good
Jun7Good
Jul9Good
Aug16Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Maamba?

Maamba sits at 17.4°S, 27.1°E, 754 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Sinazongwe, 35 km away.

KalomoMonzeHwangeLivingstoneVictoria FallsMazabuka

Topography around Maamba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Maamba has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 677 m around an average of 860 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 864 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 906 m.

The land around Maamba is covered by trees (68%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, trees (65%) and shrubs (23%) within 16 km, and shrubs (34%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
677 m
16 km
864 m
80 km
906 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Sinazongwe 35 km · Choma 64 km · Kalomo 80 km · Monze 127 km · Hwange 131 km · Livingstone 147 km · Victoria Falls 153 km · Mazabuka 180 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 Maamba (-17.3667°, 27.15°, elevation 754 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).