January is one of the warmer months of the year in Kaikoura, with average highs near 19.1°C and lows around 13.5°C (mean 16.3°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 51 mm of rainfall and 73% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Kaikoura. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Kaikoura was 2018 — when the month averaged 18.5°C — while the coldest was 2025 at 14.3°C. Typical January days reach 19.1°C with nights near 13.5°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is one of the drier months in Kaikoura, averaging 51 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1995 with 139 mm, while the driest was 2020 at 10 mm.
Relative humidity in Kaikoura during January averages 73%. The most humid January was 2023 at 81%, and the least humid was 1983 at 65%.
January receives about 6.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Kaikoura. The sunniest Januarys were 1988 and 2022 at 7.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2002 at 5.4.
Average wind speed in Kaikoura during January is 3 m/s. The windiest January was 2025 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 2005 at 2.3 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.7°C | 16.0°C | 16.1°C | 16.4°C | 16.3°C | -0.4°C |
| Avg High | 19.6°C | 18.7°C | 18.8°C | 19.2°C | 18.8°C | -0.8°C |
| Avg Low | 13.8°C | 13.3°C | 13.3°C | 13.6°C | 13.8°C | 0°C |
| Avg Rain | 49 mm | 61 mm | 46 mm | 55 mm | 41 mm | -8 mm |
January temperatures in Kaikoura have stayed relatively stable across the record.
January has ranged from a record low of 8.4°C (1984) to a record high of 28.9°C (2021).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 51 mm, with a wettest year of 139 mm.
One of the best times to visit Kaikoura
January is one of the best times to visit Kaikoura. Expect days averaging 19.1°C and nights around 13.5°C (mean 16.3°C) — warmer than Kaikoura's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (51 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 ❄️ | 16.3°C | 14.3°C | 12.3°C | 22.4°C | 10.2°C | 68 mm | 81% | 3.7 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2024 | 20.3°C | 17.4°C | 14.4°C | 25.9°C | 10.2°C | 50 mm | 74% | 3 m/s | 7 |
| 2023 | 18.5°C | 16.4°C | 14.3°C | 23.7°C | 11.7°C | 64 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 19.1°C | 16.7°C | 14.3°C | 24.5°C | 11.2°C | 33 mm | 77% | 2.8 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2021 | 19.4°C | 16.7°C | 13.9°C | 28.9°C | 10.2°C | 23 mm | 72% | 3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2020 | 19.2°C | 16.3°C | 13.4°C | 26.3°C | 10.1°C | 10 mm | 72% | 2.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2019 | 21.1°C | 18.1°C | 15.1°C | 26.2°C | 12.2°C | 25 mm | 72% | 2.9 m/s | 7 |
| 2018 🔥 | 20.9°C | 18.5°C | 16.1°C | 28.7°C | 11.1°C | 134 mm | 79% | 2.6 m/s | 6 |
| 2017 | 18.8°C | 15.6°C | 12.4°C | 22.4°C | 9.0°C | 49 mm | 71% | 3.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2016 | 19.0°C | 16.2°C | 13.4°C | 26.1°C | 9.9°C | 104 mm | 76% | 2.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 19.4°C | 16.8°C | 14.2°C | 23.8°C | 12.0°C | 16 mm | 74% | 2.7 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2014 | 18.4°C | 15.4°C | 12.5°C | 24.0°C | 8.7°C | 46 mm | 70% | 3.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2013 | 19.7°C | 16.6°C | 13.5°C | 25.5°C | 10.1°C | 61 mm | 69% | 3.2 m/s | 7 |
| 2012 | 18.5°C | 15.7°C | 12.9°C | 24.2°C | 9.7°C | 27 mm | 72% | 3.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2011 | 18.7°C | 15.9°C | 13.1°C | 24.2°C | 9.3°C | 49 mm | 73% | 3.3 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2010 | 17.8°C | 15.1°C | 12.3°C | 24.7°C | 8.7°C | 37 mm | 77% | 3.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2009 | 20.4°C | 17.5°C | 14.5°C | 28.8°C | 10.8°C | 16 mm | 66% | 2.4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2008 | 19.6°C | 16.7°C | 13.8°C | 25.6°C | 10.1°C | 13 mm | 73% | 2.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2007 | 18.3°C | 15.4°C | 12.6°C | 23.9°C | 8.7°C | 34 mm | 76% | 2.7 m/s | 6 |
| 2006 | 19.5°C | 16.2°C | 13.0°C | 26.0°C | 10.4°C | 60 mm | 69% | 3.2 m/s | 7 |
| 2005 | 18.8°C | 16.0°C | 13.1°C | 23.6°C | 10.2°C | 47 mm | 74% | 2.3 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2004 | 20.4°C | 17.5°C | 14.6°C | 26.4°C | 10.6°C | 52 mm | 74% | 2.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2003 | 18.7°C | 15.9°C | 13.1°C | 25.1°C | 9.1°C | 48 mm | 73% | 3.3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2002 | 17.4°C | 15.5°C | 13.7°C | 23.2°C | 10.6°C | 109 mm | 80% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2001 | 17.9°C | 15.0°C | 12.1°C | 23.4°C | 9.0°C | 36 mm | 72% | 3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2000 | 17.4°C | 15.0°C | 12.6°C | 26.1°C | 9.9°C | 47 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1999 | 19.9°C | 17.3°C | 14.8°C | 25.7°C | 10.9°C | 33 mm | 75% | 3.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 19.8°C | 16.7°C | 13.7°C | 26.8°C | 8.8°C | 19 mm | 69% | 2.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1997 | 16.9°C | 14.5°C | 12.0°C | 21.2°C | 9.4°C | 55 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1996 | 18.0°C | 15.9°C | 13.8°C | 23.7°C | 10.0°C | 42 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1995 🌧️ | 18.8°C | 15.9°C | 12.9°C | 24.9°C | 8.5°C | 139 mm | 74% | 2.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1994 | 19.3°C | 16.4°C | 13.5°C | 24.5°C | 10.5°C | 68 mm | 72% | 2.9 m/s | 6 |
| 1993 | 17.8°C | 14.7°C | 11.6°C | 24.0°C | 8.7°C | 55 mm | 72% | 3.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1992 | 18.8°C | 16.2°C | 13.6°C | 22.6°C | 9.8°C | 45 mm | 74% | 2.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1991 | 18.4°C | 15.8°C | 13.2°C | 24.4°C | 9.4°C | 118 mm | 74% | 3.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1990 | 19.6°C | 16.8°C | 13.9°C | 26.2°C | 11.5°C | 39 mm | 71% | 2.8 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1989 | 19.5°C | 17.2°C | 14.8°C | 23.4°C | 11.1°C | 62 mm | 74% | 2.7 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1988 | 19.9°C | 16.8°C | 13.6°C | 24.7°C | 8.9°C | 19 mm | 68% | 2.7 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1987 | 19.9°C | 17.1°C | 14.2°C | 25.0°C | 11.2°C | 52 mm | 71% | 2.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1986 | 20.2°C | 17.5°C | 14.7°C | 25.5°C | 9.7°C | 100 mm | 75% | 2.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 | 20.3°C | 17.5°C | 14.7°C | 26.8°C | 12.6°C | 61 mm | 72% | 2.8 m/s | 7 |
| 1984 | 17.4°C | 14.7°C | 12.0°C | 23.0°C | 8.4°C | 57 mm | 71% | 3.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1983 | 18.8°C | 15.5°C | 12.2°C | 26.4°C | 9.6°C | 38 mm | 65% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 19.8°C | 16.7°C | 13.6°C | 25.7°C | 10.7°C | 38 mm | 68% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 20.8°C | 17.7°C | 14.5°C | 27.8°C | 10.0°C | 17 mm | 68% | 2.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 19.1°C with lows near 13.5°C (mean 16.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 51 mm of rainfall in Kaikoura, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 139 mm in 1995.
The hottest January reached 28.9°C in 2021. The coldest dipped to 8.4°C in 1984.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have fallen by about 0.1°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Overnight lows rose from 13.4°C to 13.8°C while daytime highs eased from 19.4°C to 18.7°C, narrowing the gap between day and night.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Kaikoura and one of the drier months, so plan for around 19.1°C daytime highs and 13.5°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in Kaikoura, averaging 16.3°C.
For January in Kaikoura, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 19.1°C and lows of 13.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 73% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 3 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 3.7 m/s (2025).
The wettest January on record was 1995 with 139 mm. On average, January sees 51 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 Kaikoura 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.
