January is one of the warmer months of the year in Mackay, with average highs near 28.2°C and lows around 26.1°C (mean 27.2°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 201 mm of rainfall and 79% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Mackay. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Mackay was 2024 — when the month averaged 28.6°C — while the coldest was 2001 at 25.7°C. Typical January days reach 28.2°C with nights near 26.1°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Mackay, averaging 201 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1991 with 629 mm, while the driest was 1990 at 27 mm.
Relative humidity in Mackay during January averages 79%. The most humid January was 1991 at 84%, and the least humid was 2003 at 71%.
January receives about 6.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Mackay. The sunniest Januarys were 1988 and 1990 at 7.4 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1991 at 5.2.
Average wind speed in Mackay during January is 4.3 m/s. The windiest Januarys were 2014 and 2019 at 5.3 m/s, while the calmest was 1987 at 3.4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 27.1°C | 27.0°C | 27.1°C | 27.2°C | 27.5°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 28.2°C | 28.1°C | 28.1°C | 28.2°C | 28.4°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 26.0°C | 25.9°C | 26.1°C | 26.2°C | 26.5°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 146 mm | 202 mm | 228 mm | 215 mm | 209 mm | +63 mm |
January temperatures in Mackay have risen by about 0.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 23.5°C (1989) to a record high of 33.2°C (1985).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 201 mm, with a wettest year of 629 mm.
A quieter season to visit Mackay
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of September and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Mackay. That said, January — with days averaging 28.2°C and nights around 26.1°C (mean 27.2°C) and higher rainfall (201 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the warmth, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28.9°C | 27.9°C | 26.9°C | 30.6°C | 25.4°C | 298 mm | 80% | 4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2024 🔥 | 29.6°C | 28.6°C | 27.6°C | 31.0°C | 26.2°C | 105 mm | 81% | 4.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2023 | 27.5°C | 26.6°C | 25.8°C | 29.3°C | 24.9°C | 447 mm | 81% | 4.4 m/s | 6 |
| 2022 | 29.0°C | 27.8°C | 26.7°C | 32.8°C | 25.6°C | 62 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2021 | 27.2°C | 26.5°C | 25.8°C | 28.0°C | 24.4°C | 233 mm | 83% | 4.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2020 | 28.4°C | 27.3°C | 26.3°C | 30.2°C | 25.2°C | 111 mm | 80% | 3.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2019 | 27.4°C | 26.5°C | 25.7°C | 27.8°C | 24.6°C | 223 mm | 78% | 5.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2018 | 28.7°C | 27.6°C | 26.5°C | 31.2°C | 25.2°C | 48 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 28.2°C | 27.4°C | 26.5°C | 29.2°C | 25.6°C | 331 mm | 82% | 4.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2016 | 28.8°C | 27.6°C | 26.3°C | 31.1°C | 24.8°C | 110 mm | 75% | 3.8 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2015 | 28.9°C | 27.9°C | 26.8°C | 30.7°C | 26.0°C | 197 mm | 79% | 4.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2014 | 28.0°C | 27.1°C | 26.1°C | 30.7°C | 25.0°C | 257 mm | 78% | 5.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2013 | 28.3°C | 27.4°C | 26.4°C | 31.0°C | 24.9°C | 270 mm | 79% | 4.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2012 | 27.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.8°C | 29.0°C | 24.3°C | 179 mm | 80% | 3.6 m/s | 6 |
| 2011 | 27.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.8°C | 28.7°C | 23.9°C | 234 mm | 79% | 4.2 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2010 | 28.0°C | 27.2°C | 26.3°C | 30.1°C | 25.7°C | 307 mm | 80% | 4.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 28.1°C | 27.3°C | 26.5°C | 29.0°C | 24.8°C | 284 mm | 81% | 5.2 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2008 | 27.9°C | 27.0°C | 26.2°C | 28.8°C | 24.8°C | 415 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2007 | 27.7°C | 26.7°C | 25.8°C | 29.1°C | 24.3°C | 304 mm | 79% | 4.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 28.8°C | 27.9°C | 27.0°C | 30.7°C | 25.5°C | 222 mm | 76% | 4.4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2005 | 28.3°C | 27.2°C | 26.1°C | 30.1°C | 24.7°C | 445 mm | 79% | 4.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2004 | 28.8°C | 27.8°C | 26.8°C | 31.3°C | 24.7°C | 164 mm | 81% | 3.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2003 | 27.9°C | 26.9°C | 25.9°C | 28.9°C | 24.4°C | 40 mm | 71% | 4.6 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2002 | 29.2°C | 28.2°C | 27.2°C | 31.1°C | 26.3°C | 191 mm | 76% | 3.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2001 ❄️ | 26.7°C | 25.7°C | 24.7°C | 28.6°C | 23.8°C | 140 mm | 79% | 4.4 m/s | 7 |
| 2000 | 27.4°C | 26.3°C | 25.1°C | 30.1°C | 23.8°C | 77 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1999 | 28.5°C | 27.5°C | 26.5°C | 31.0°C | 25.7°C | 204 mm | 80% | 4.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 28.1°C | 27.3°C | 26.4°C | 29.5°C | 25.3°C | 159 mm | 82% | 5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1997 | 27.6°C | 26.5°C | 25.4°C | 30.4°C | 24.5°C | 98 mm | 76% | 4.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1996 | 28.0°C | 27.0°C | 25.9°C | 29.8°C | 24.6°C | 306 mm | 80% | 4.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1995 | 27.9°C | 26.8°C | 25.7°C | 31.6°C | 24.9°C | 128 mm | 77% | 4.5 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1994 | 29.2°C | 27.9°C | 26.5°C | 32.7°C | 24.8°C | 82 mm | 79% | 4.6 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1993 | 27.0°C | 26.1°C | 25.2°C | 27.7°C | 24.0°C | 361 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1992 | 29.1°C | 27.7°C | 26.4°C | 31.2°C | 25.7°C | 31 mm | 75% | 3.7 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1991 🌧️ | 27.4°C | 26.6°C | 25.7°C | 30.6°C | 24.4°C | 629 mm | 84% | 4.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1990 | 27.8°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C | 29.5°C | 23.6°C | 27 mm | 76% | 4.5 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1989 | 27.5°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C | 28.8°C | 23.5°C | 132 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 7 |
| 1988 | 28.1°C | 26.9°C | 25.8°C | 31.1°C | 24.2°C | 84 mm | 75% | 4.8 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1987 | 29.1°C | 27.8°C | 26.6°C | 32.1°C | 25.6°C | 83 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1986 | 28.4°C | 27.4°C | 26.3°C | 29.9°C | 25.1°C | 227 mm | 78% | 4.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 29.0°C | 27.8°C | 26.5°C | 33.2°C | 25.7°C | 49 mm | 73% | 4.2 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1984 | 27.7°C | 26.7°C | 25.6°C | 30.1°C | 24.1°C | 157 mm | 80% | 3.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1983 | 28.0°C | 26.7°C | 25.4°C | 32.1°C | 24.1°C | 149 mm | 79% | 4.7 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 29.3°C | 28.1°C | 26.9°C | 31.5°C | 25.9°C | 102 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 26.9°C | 26.1°C | 25.3°C | 28.9°C | 24.7°C | 332 mm | 81% | 4.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 28.2°C with lows near 26.1°C (mean 27.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 201 mm of rainfall in Mackay, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 629 mm in 1991.
The hottest January reached 33.2°C in 1985. The coldest dipped to 23.5°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.4°C. Daytime highs moved from 28.2°C to 28.4°C and overnight lows from 25.9°C to 26.6°C over the same span.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Mackay and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 28.2°C daytime highs and 26.1°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in Mackay, averaging 27.2°C.
For January in Mackay, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.2°C and lows of 26.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 79% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 4.3 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 5.3 m/s (2014).
The wettest January on record was 1991 with 629 mm. On average, January sees 201 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 Mackay 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.
