January is close to Palmerston's year-round average, with average highs near 30.5°C and lows around 25.7°C (mean 28.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 389 mm of rainfall and 86% relative humidity across the period.
January is close to Palmerston's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Januarys in Palmerston were 1983 and 2016 — when the month averaged 29.3°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 27.2°C. Typical January days reach 30.5°C with nights near 25.7°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Palmerston, averaging 389 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1995 with 711 mm, while the driest was 2016 at 99 mm.
Relative humidity in Palmerston during January averages 86%. The most humid January was 2010 at 90%, and the least humid was 1983 at 77%.
January receives about 5.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Palmerston. The sunniest January was 1988 at 6.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2024 at 4.1.
Average wind speed in Palmerston during January is 2.5 m/s. The windiest January was 2024 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 2025 at 1.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 28.1°C | 27.9°C | 28.0°C | 28.1°C | 28.5°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 30.7°C | 30.3°C | 30.4°C | 30.4°C | 30.8°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg Low | 25.5°C | 25.6°C | 25.7°C | 25.9°C | 26.2°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Rain | 384 mm | 448 mm | 349 mm | 413 mm | 324 mm | -60 mm |
January temperatures in Palmerston have risen by about 0.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 22.1°C (2003) to a record high of 36.9°C (1983).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 389 mm, with a wettest year of 711 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0°C per decade while lows rose 0.2°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Palmerston
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of June and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Palmerston. That said, January — with days averaging 30.5°C and nights around 25.7°C (mean 28.1°C) and higher rainfall (389 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31.3°C | 28.8°C | 26.3°C | 34.3°C | 24.6°C | 290 mm | 84% | 1.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2024 | 31.0°C | 28.9°C | 26.9°C | 36.2°C | 25.2°C | 447 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 4.1 |
| 2023 | 30.3°C | 27.9°C | 25.6°C | 32.1°C | 24.8°C | 275 mm | 87% | 2.9 m/s | 5 |
| 2022 | 30.4°C | 28.2°C | 26.0°C | 33.0°C | 24.7°C | 293 mm | 87% | 2.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2021 | 30.1°C | 28.0°C | 26.0°C | 32.6°C | 24.6°C | 420 mm | 88% | 2.1 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2020 | 31.6°C | 29.1°C | 26.5°C | 34.5°C | 25.0°C | 221 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2019 | 30.8°C | 28.5°C | 26.2°C | 34.0°C | 25.3°C | 277 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2018 | 30.7°C | 28.4°C | 26.1°C | 36.1°C | 25.1°C | 529 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2017 | 30.6°C | 28.2°C | 25.8°C | 32.4°C | 24.9°C | 245 mm | 85% | 2.8 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2016 | 32.4°C | 29.3°C | 26.1°C | 34.2°C | 25.0°C | 99 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2015 | 29.4°C | 27.6°C | 25.7°C | 31.1°C | 24.1°C | 489 mm | 89% | 3.2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2014 | 30.1°C | 27.9°C | 25.7°C | 34.4°C | 23.8°C | 656 mm | 88% | 2.8 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2013 | 30.7°C | 28.5°C | 26.3°C | 33.4°C | 23.9°C | 275 mm | 85% | 2.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2012 | 30.5°C | 28.2°C | 25.8°C | 32.9°C | 24.9°C | 484 mm | 86% | 2.4 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2011 | 29.3°C | 27.3°C | 25.3°C | 32.4°C | 23.8°C | 528 mm | 89% | 2.7 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2010 | 29.3°C | 27.5°C | 25.7°C | 31.2°C | 24.7°C | 549 mm | 90% | 3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2009 | 29.8°C | 27.8°C | 25.8°C | 31.3°C | 25.3°C | 336 mm | 88% | 2.6 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 29.9°C | 27.8°C | 25.8°C | 32.6°C | 25.0°C | 374 mm | 88% | 2.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2007 | 30.6°C | 28.4°C | 26.1°C | 32.2°C | 25.5°C | 354 mm | 87% | 2.3 m/s | 5 |
| 2006 | 29.8°C | 27.8°C | 25.8°C | 31.9°C | 24.3°C | 440 mm | 88% | 3.3 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2005 | 30.6°C | 28.2°C | 25.7°C | 32.0°C | 23.0°C | 319 mm | 86% | 2.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2004 | 30.2°C | 27.9°C | 25.6°C | 32.1°C | 24.0°C | 343 mm | 87% | 2.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 30.8°C | 28.1°C | 25.4°C | 32.5°C | 22.1°C | 466 mm | 84% | 2.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 31.2°C | 28.6°C | 25.9°C | 32.5°C | 24.8°C | 158 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2001 | 30.4°C | 27.8°C | 25.3°C | 33.4°C | 23.9°C | 335 mm | 85% | 1.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2000 | 30.2°C | 27.7°C | 25.1°C | 32.8°C | 24.0°C | 361 mm | 86% | 1.8 m/s | 5.1 |
| 1999 | 30.2°C | 27.8°C | 25.5°C | 32.8°C | 24.4°C | 386 mm | 88% | 2 m/s | 5 |
| 1998 | 30.1°C | 28.0°C | 26.0°C | 32.6°C | 24.7°C | 557 mm | 89% | 3.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 29.3°C | 27.2°C | 25.1°C | 31.8°C | 23.1°C | 668 mm | 89% | 2.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1996 | 30.7°C | 28.0°C | 25.4°C | 32.4°C | 24.6°C | 278 mm | 86% | 2.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1995 🌧️ | 30.0°C | 28.0°C | 25.9°C | 31.8°C | 24.4°C | 711 mm | 86% | 2.6 m/s | 5 |
| 1994 | 30.4°C | 28.0°C | 25.5°C | 32.5°C | 24.5°C | 212 mm | 86% | 1.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1993 | 30.2°C | 27.9°C | 25.6°C | 32.4°C | 24.7°C | 503 mm | 86% | 2.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1992 | 31.3°C | 28.3°C | 25.4°C | 33.0°C | 24.1°C | 247 mm | 82% | 2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 29.4°C | 27.6°C | 25.8°C | 31.2°C | 24.6°C | 578 mm | 89% | 2.9 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1990 | 31.3°C | 28.5°C | 25.6°C | 36.5°C | 24.5°C | 340 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1989 | 30.7°C | 27.9°C | 25.1°C | 32.4°C | 23.1°C | 307 mm | 85% | 2.1 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1988 | 30.7°C | 28.2°C | 25.8°C | 32.6°C | 24.9°C | 224 mm | 85% | 1.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 31.1°C | 28.4°C | 25.7°C | 35.1°C | 23.5°C | 449 mm | 82% | 2.5 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1986 | 30.0°C | 27.6°C | 25.2°C | 32.7°C | 23.6°C | 579 mm | 86% | 2.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1985 | 31.4°C | 28.3°C | 25.2°C | 33.3°C | 23.9°C | 228 mm | 80% | 1.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1984 | 30.0°C | 27.6°C | 25.2°C | 32.5°C | 24.1°C | 384 mm | 84% | 2.3 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1983 🔥 | 32.7°C | 29.3°C | 25.9°C | 36.9°C | 24.4°C | 181 mm | 77% | 2.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 30.0°C | 27.7°C | 25.5°C | 33.6°C | 24.1°C | 484 mm | 85% | 2.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 29.7°C | 27.6°C | 25.5°C | 32.1°C | 24.7°C | 621 mm | 86% | 3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 30.5°C with lows near 25.7°C (mean 28.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 389 mm of rainfall in Palmerston, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 711 mm in 1995.
The hottest January reached 36.9°C in 1983. The coldest dipped to 22.1°C in 2003.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.3°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Overnight lows rose from 25.5°C to 26.2°C while daytime highs eased from 30.8°C to 30.6°C, narrowing the gap between day and night.
January is close to Palmerston's year-round average and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 30.5°C daytime highs and 25.7°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 8th coolest month in Palmerston, averaging 28.1°C.
For January in Palmerston, pack light, breathable clothing and sun protection, with typical highs of 30.5°C and lows of 25.7°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 86% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 2.5 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 3.7 m/s (2024).
The wettest January on record was 1995 with 711 mm. On average, January sees 389 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 Palmerston 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.
