January is one of the warmer months of the year in Sydney, with average highs near 25.4°C and lows around 20.2°C (mean 22.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 92 mm of rainfall and 75% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Sydney. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Sydney was 2019 — when the month averaged 24.4°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 20.8°C. Typical January days reach 25.4°C with nights near 20.2°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Sydney, averaging 92 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2016 with 235 mm, while the driest was 1985 at 13 mm.
Relative humidity in Sydney during January averages 75%. The most humid January was 2019 at 82%, and the least humid was 1994 at 68%.
January receives about 6.4 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Sydney. The sunniest Januarys were 1985 and 2007 at 7.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1996 at 5.5.
Average wind speed in Sydney during January is 3.2 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 2003 and 2025 at 3.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2019 at 2.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 22.3°C | 22.5°C | 22.9°C | 23.3°C | 23.2°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg High | 25.0°C | 25.1°C | 25.5°C | 25.9°C | 25.5°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 19.7°C | 19.9°C | 20.2°C | 20.6°C | 20.9°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 95 mm | 98 mm | 69 mm | 95 mm | 108 mm | +12 mm |
January temperatures in Sydney have risen by about 0.6°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 15.7°C (1990) to a record high of 37.9°C (2001).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 92 mm, with a wettest year of 235 mm.
One of the best times to visit Sydney
January is one of the best times to visit Sydney. Expect days averaging 25.4°C and nights around 20.2°C (mean 22.8°C) — warmer than Sydney's yearly average — with higher rainfall (92 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.3°C | 23.0°C | 20.7°C | 37.1°C | 18.9°C | 121 mm | 77% | 3.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2024 | 26.0°C | 23.7°C | 21.5°C | 34.1°C | 18.6°C | 111 mm | 78% | 3.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2023 | 24.8°C | 22.6°C | 20.4°C | 30.7°C | 17.7°C | 144 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 25.1°C | 23.3°C | 21.5°C | 27.8°C | 19.9°C | 132 mm | 80% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 25.1°C | 22.6°C | 20.1°C | 32.9°C | 18.1°C | 74 mm | 74% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2020 | 26.4°C | 23.9°C | 21.3°C | 37.7°C | 19.2°C | 66 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2019 🔥 | 27.2°C | 24.4°C | 21.6°C | 34.0°C | 19.4°C | 78 mm | 82% | 2.6 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2018 | 26.2°C | 23.3°C | 20.4°C | 37.5°C | 16.8°C | 34 mm | 75% | 3.3 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2017 | 27.6°C | 24.3°C | 21.1°C | 35.6°C | 19.4°C | 42 mm | 74% | 3.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2016 🌧️ | 24.9°C | 22.6°C | 20.2°C | 32.8°C | 16.8°C | 235 mm | 78% | 3.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2015 | 25.5°C | 23.1°C | 20.7°C | 32.4°C | 16.6°C | 135 mm | 78% | 3.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2014 | 25.3°C | 22.6°C | 19.9°C | 31.8°C | 18.0°C | 26 mm | 73% | 3.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2013 | 26.1°C | 23.1°C | 20.1°C | 37.1°C | 17.9°C | 164 mm | 76% | 3.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2012 | 24.5°C | 22.2°C | 20.0°C | 31.6°C | 15.9°C | 117 mm | 74% | 3.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2011 | 25.9°C | 23.5°C | 21.1°C | 31.6°C | 18.0°C | 61 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2010 | 26.1°C | 23.4°C | 20.6°C | 35.5°C | 17.1°C | 57 mm | 75% | 3.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2009 | 26.5°C | 23.0°C | 19.5°C | 36.6°C | 16.9°C | 24 mm | 71% | 3.2 m/s | 7 |
| 2008 | 24.9°C | 22.8°C | 20.7°C | 29.3°C | 18.5°C | 106 mm | 76% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2007 | 25.4°C | 22.7°C | 19.9°C | 32.8°C | 18.1°C | 44 mm | 73% | 3.4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 25.9°C | 23.4°C | 21.0°C | 36.2°C | 19.2°C | 116 mm | 78% | 3.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2005 | 25.3°C | 22.6°C | 19.9°C | 31.3°C | 17.1°C | 78 mm | 75% | 3.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2004 | 26.3°C | 23.4°C | 20.6°C | 33.3°C | 18.3°C | 55 mm | 73% | 2.9 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2003 | 25.8°C | 23.2°C | 20.5°C | 36.8°C | 18.6°C | 28 mm | 70% | 3.8 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2002 | 25.2°C | 22.7°C | 20.2°C | 32.2°C | 17.3°C | 76 mm | 71% | 3.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2001 | 26.4°C | 23.7°C | 21.1°C | 37.9°C | 19.0°C | 125 mm | 75% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2000 | 23.6°C | 21.1°C | 18.5°C | 35.3°C | 16.9°C | 42 mm | 72% | 3.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1999 | 25.7°C | 23.5°C | 21.3°C | 31.0°C | 20.0°C | 126 mm | 78% | 3.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 26.4°C | 23.7°C | 21.0°C | 32.4°C | 19.3°C | 106 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 23.0°C | 20.8°C | 18.5°C | 27.8°C | 16.2°C | 131 mm | 74% | 3.6 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 | 24.6°C | 22.3°C | 20.0°C | 31.5°C | 18.6°C | 126 mm | 79% | 3.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1995 | 23.4°C | 21.3°C | 19.2°C | 27.3°C | 17.4°C | 141 mm | 77% | 3.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1994 | 26.6°C | 23.5°C | 20.4°C | 32.6°C | 18.3°C | 29 mm | 68% | 3.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1993 | 25.7°C | 22.8°C | 19.9°C | 32.6°C | 18.0°C | 72 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1992 | 23.7°C | 21.1°C | 18.5°C | 32.7°C | 15.9°C | 87 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 27.4°C | 24.3°C | 21.3°C | 32.8°C | 19.1°C | 72 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1990 | 24.3°C | 21.6°C | 18.8°C | 34.6°C | 15.7°C | 86 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1989 | 23.4°C | 21.5°C | 19.6°C | 28.7°C | 18.1°C | 146 mm | 74% | 3.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1988 | 25.5°C | 22.9°C | 20.4°C | 30.6°C | 18.0°C | 125 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1987 | 25.8°C | 23.0°C | 20.2°C | 32.2°C | 16.7°C | 62 mm | 75% | 2.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1986 | 24.7°C | 21.9°C | 19.2°C | 31.3°C | 16.5°C | 152 mm | 70% | 3.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1985 | 25.4°C | 22.2°C | 18.9°C | 31.4°C | 16.0°C | 13 mm | 68% | 3 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1984 | 23.8°C | 21.3°C | 18.8°C | 30.2°C | 16.4°C | 172 mm | 74% | 3.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1983 | 25.4°C | 22.4°C | 19.4°C | 34.0°C | 16.9°C | 31 mm | 69% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 25.5°C | 22.7°C | 19.9°C | 34.1°C | 18.7°C | 92 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 25.6°C | 23.2°C | 20.8°C | 30.3°C | 18.5°C | 68 mm | 78% | 3.1 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 25.4°C with lows near 20.2°C (mean 22.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 92 mm of rainfall in Sydney, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 235 mm in 2016.
The hottest January reached 37.9°C in 2001. The coldest dipped to 15.7°C in 1990.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.6°C. Daytime highs moved from 25.1°C to 25.3°C and overnight lows from 19.6°C to 20.8°C over the same span.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Sydney and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 25.4°C daytime highs and 20.2°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in Sydney, averaging 22.8°C.
For January in Sydney, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 25.4°C and lows of 20.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 75% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 3.2 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 3.8 m/s (2003).
The wettest January on record was 2016 with 235 mm. On average, January sees 92 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Sydney behaves each January, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for January specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
