January is one of the warmer months of the year in Whakatane, with average highs near 23.5°C and lows around 15.2°C (mean 19.4°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 71 mm of rainfall and 71% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Whakatane. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Whakatane was 1999 — when the month averaged 21°C — while the coldest was 1997 at 17.3°C. Typical January days reach 23.5°C with nights near 15.2°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is one of the drier months in Whakatane, averaging 71 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2011 with 227 mm, while the driest was 2013 at 16 mm.
Relative humidity in Whakatane during January averages 71%. The most humid January was 2023 at 83%, and the least humid was 1983 at 61%.
January receives about 6.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Whakatane. The sunniest January was 2022 at 7.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2023 at 5.3.
Average wind speed in Whakatane during January is 1.6 m/s. The windiest January was 1983 at 1.9 m/s, while the calmest were 1981, 2004 and 2015 at 1.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 19.5°C | 19.1°C | 19.2°C | 19.5°C | 19.6°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg High | 23.8°C | 23.2°C | 23.3°C | 23.8°C | 23.8°C | 0°C |
| Avg Low | 15.2°C | 15.1°C | 15.0°C | 15.4°C | 15.5°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 77 mm | 59 mm | 60 mm | 85 mm | 79 mm | +2 mm |
January temperatures in Whakatane have stayed relatively stable across the record.
January has ranged from a record low of 8.6°C (1997) to a record high of 32.2°C (1983).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 71 mm, with a wettest year of 227 mm.
One of the best times to visit Whakatane
January is one of the best times to visit Whakatane. Expect days averaging 23.5°C and nights around 15.2°C (mean 19.4°C) — warmer than Whakatane's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (71 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 | 22.5°C | 18.2°C | 14.0°C | 26.2°C | 10.0°C | 69 mm | 70% | 1.5 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2024 | 24.2°C | 20.6°C | 16.9°C | 28.0°C | 11.7°C | 85 mm | 74% | 1.5 m/s | 7 |
| 2023 | 20.6°C | 18.2°C | 15.7°C | 24.4°C | 12.0°C | 223 mm | 83% | 1.8 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2022 | 25.8°C | 20.8°C | 15.9°C | 28.4°C | 12.7°C | 44 mm | 66% | 1.4 m/s | 7.6 |
| 2021 | 24.5°C | 19.9°C | 15.4°C | 29.9°C | 11.5°C | 34 mm | 68% | 1.6 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2020 | 25.0°C | 20.1°C | 15.1°C | 30.9°C | 11.5°C | 22 mm | 65% | 1.5 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2019 | 25.3°C | 20.9°C | 16.6°C | 29.6°C | 13.4°C | 48 mm | 72% | 1.4 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2018 | 24.0°C | 20.8°C | 17.5°C | 28.2°C | 13.1°C | 111 mm | 79% | 1.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2017 | 24.1°C | 19.2°C | 14.4°C | 28.2°C | 10.4°C | 25 mm | 64% | 1.8 m/s | 7 |
| 2016 | 24.0°C | 20.1°C | 16.3°C | 28.9°C | 11.3°C | 102 mm | 75% | 1.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2015 | 24.6°C | 20.3°C | 16.1°C | 28.3°C | 13.6°C | 40 mm | 70% | 1.3 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2014 | 23.2°C | 18.5°C | 13.8°C | 26.0°C | 10.2°C | 51 mm | 67% | 1.8 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2013 | 24.3°C | 19.3°C | 14.4°C | 30.1°C | 10.2°C | 16 mm | 65% | 1.6 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2012 | 21.9°C | 18.2°C | 14.6°C | 25.0°C | 9.8°C | 91 mm | 73% | 1.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2011 🌧️ | 23.5°C | 19.5°C | 15.5°C | 28.3°C | 12.2°C | 227 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2010 | 22.6°C | 18.5°C | 14.4°C | 25.4°C | 10.3°C | 145 mm | 72% | 1.5 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2009 | 24.6°C | 19.9°C | 15.3°C | 29.2°C | 11.6°C | 38 mm | 68% | 1.5 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2008 | 24.9°C | 20.3°C | 15.7°C | 28.7°C | 12.2°C | 30 mm | 69% | 1.6 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2007 | 22.9°C | 19.0°C | 15.0°C | 27.9°C | 9.5°C | 93 mm | 75% | 1.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2006 | 23.0°C | 19.1°C | 15.2°C | 26.4°C | 10.5°C | 97 mm | 72% | 1.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2005 | 22.9°C | 18.6°C | 14.2°C | 27.0°C | 11.4°C | 29 mm | 72% | 1.5 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2004 | 24.1°C | 20.1°C | 16.1°C | 27.4°C | 11.1°C | 63 mm | 73% | 1.3 m/s | 7 |
| 2003 | 22.3°C | 18.3°C | 14.3°C | 26.4°C | 9.4°C | 68 mm | 70% | 1.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2002 | 22.5°C | 18.8°C | 15.1°C | 26.4°C | 10.7°C | 79 mm | 73% | 1.4 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2001 | 23.3°C | 18.9°C | 14.5°C | 27.5°C | 10.7°C | 55 mm | 66% | 1.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2000 | 22.2°C | 18.6°C | 14.9°C | 26.1°C | 11.5°C | 47 mm | 73% | 1.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1999 🔥 | 25.0°C | 21.0°C | 17.0°C | 30.2°C | 13.0°C | 102 mm | 72% | 1.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1998 | 24.2°C | 19.8°C | 15.4°C | 28.7°C | 9.6°C | 34 mm | 67% | 1.7 m/s | 7 |
| 1997 ❄️ | 21.1°C | 17.3°C | 13.5°C | 24.0°C | 8.6°C | 49 mm | 71% | 1.7 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1996 | 22.8°C | 19.4°C | 16.0°C | 26.0°C | 13.1°C | 98 mm | 73% | 1.5 m/s | 7 |
| 1995 | 22.7°C | 18.8°C | 15.0°C | 24.5°C | 10.4°C | 69 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1994 | 23.5°C | 19.6°C | 15.6°C | 27.1°C | 10.2°C | 51 mm | 72% | 1.6 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1993 | 22.6°C | 17.8°C | 13.0°C | 27.2°C | 10.0°C | 47 mm | 68% | 1.7 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1992 | 22.9°C | 18.9°C | 15.0°C | 29.0°C | 9.6°C | 62 mm | 71% | 1.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 23.3°C | 19.0°C | 14.7°C | 29.6°C | 10.5°C | 37 mm | 68% | 1.7 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1990 | 23.7°C | 19.6°C | 15.4°C | 28.0°C | 11.5°C | 41 mm | 72% | 1.6 m/s | 6 |
| 1989 | 22.2°C | 18.9°C | 15.7°C | 24.7°C | 10.7°C | 187 mm | 79% | 1.8 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1988 | 24.4°C | 19.6°C | 14.8°C | 29.6°C | 12.3°C | 34 mm | 65% | 1.6 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1987 | 24.0°C | 19.7°C | 15.3°C | 28.8°C | 12.3°C | 64 mm | 69% | 1.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1986 | 23.9°C | 20.1°C | 16.2°C | 28.6°C | 11.5°C | 106 mm | 74% | 1.5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 24.7°C | 20.4°C | 16.0°C | 28.4°C | 13.2°C | 59 mm | 69% | 1.6 m/s | 7 |
| 1984 | 22.8°C | 18.3°C | 13.7°C | 25.8°C | 8.9°C | 85 mm | 68% | 1.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1983 | 23.6°C | 18.6°C | 13.7°C | 32.2°C | 10.3°C | 34 mm | 61% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 24.0°C | 19.5°C | 15.1°C | 27.9°C | 11.4°C | 44 mm | 67% | 1.8 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 24.2°C | 20.3°C | 16.4°C | 27.1°C | 11.3°C | 81 mm | 75% | 1.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 23.5°C with lows near 15.2°C (mean 19.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 71 mm of rainfall in Whakatane, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 227 mm in 2011.
The hottest January reached 32.2°C in 1983. The coldest dipped to 8.6°C in 1997.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.1°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Overnight lows rose from 15°C to 15.6°C while daytime highs eased from 23.9°C to 23.5°C, narrowing the gap between day and night.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Whakatane and one of the drier months, so plan for around 23.5°C daytime highs and 15.2°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in Whakatane, averaging 19.4°C.
For January in Whakatane, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 23.5°C and lows of 15.2°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 71% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 1.6 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 1.9 m/s (1983).
The wettest January on record was 2011 with 227 mm. On average, January sees 71 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 Whakatane 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.
