January is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill, with average highs near 17°C and lows around 11.5°C (mean 14.3°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 121 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Invercargill was 2018 — when the month averaged 17.5°C — while the coldest were 1983 and 2017 at 12.7°C. Typical January days reach 17°C with nights near 11.5°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Invercargill, averaging 121 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1984 with 257 mm, while the driest was 2018 at 40 mm.
Relative humidity in Invercargill during January averages 78%. The most humid January was 2005 at 82%, and the least humid was 1992 at 76%.
January receives about 5.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Invercargill. The sunniest January was 2008 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2017 at 5.1.
Average wind speed in Invercargill during January is 4.2 m/s. The windiest January was 2017 at 5.9 m/s, while the calmest was 1989 at 2.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 14.4°C | 14.1°C | 14.0°C | 14.2°C | 14.7°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg High | 17.1°C | 16.9°C | 16.8°C | 16.9°C | 17.5°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 11.7°C | 11.3°C | 11.3°C | 11.4°C | 11.9°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 161 mm | 112 mm | 115 mm | 118 mm | 86 mm | -76 mm |
January temperatures in Invercargill have risen by about 1.2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 7.4°C (2016) to a record high of 26.5°C (2018).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 121 mm, with a wettest year of 257 mm.
One of the best times to visit Invercargill
January is one of the best times to visit Invercargill. Expect days averaging 17°C and nights around 11.5°C (mean 14.3°C) — warmer than Invercargill's yearly average — with higher rainfall (121 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 | 17.3°C | 14.3°C | 11.3°C | 20.1°C | 9.6°C | 60 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2024 | 17.3°C | 14.6°C | 11.9°C | 21.9°C | 8.8°C | 137 mm | 79% | 4.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2023 | 19.4°C | 16.0°C | 12.7°C | 23.6°C | 10.2°C | 44 mm | 76% | 2.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2022 | 17.8°C | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 23.6°C | 8.7°C | 54 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2021 | 16.7°C | 14.2°C | 11.7°C | 24.7°C | 9.3°C | 147 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2020 | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 11.1°C | 23.2°C | 8.7°C | 73 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2019 | 17.8°C | 15.2°C | 12.6°C | 23.2°C | 10.2°C | 116 mm | 76% | 5.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2018 🔥 | 20.8°C | 17.5°C | 14.1°C | 26.5°C | 10.2°C | 40 mm | 77% | 2.9 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2017 | 15.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.4°C | 19.5°C | 8.0°C | 150 mm | 78% | 5.9 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2016 | 16.0°C | 13.1°C | 10.3°C | 20.2°C | 7.4°C | 130 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 18.0°C | 15.0°C | 12.0°C | 24.6°C | 8.4°C | 59 mm | 76% | 3.9 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2014 | 15.1°C | 12.9°C | 10.6°C | 19.0°C | 8.7°C | 135 mm | 77% | 5.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2013 | 17.2°C | 14.3°C | 11.4°C | 24.0°C | 8.2°C | 160 mm | 77% | 4.4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2012 | 16.0°C | 13.4°C | 10.8°C | 20.8°C | 8.2°C | 127 mm | 77% | 5.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 16.8°C | 14.0°C | 11.1°C | 22.3°C | 8.7°C | 127 mm | 78% | 4.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2010 | 16.2°C | 13.4°C | 10.5°C | 22.3°C | 7.7°C | 137 mm | 81% | 4.3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2009 | 17.2°C | 14.5°C | 11.8°C | 23.7°C | 8.1°C | 175 mm | 80% | 4.1 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2008 | 18.3°C | 14.9°C | 11.6°C | 24.2°C | 9.4°C | 98 mm | 76% | 3.9 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2007 | 16.5°C | 13.7°C | 10.9°C | 22.3°C | 7.5°C | 101 mm | 79% | 3.8 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2006 | 16.4°C | 13.9°C | 11.3°C | 21.7°C | 8.9°C | 187 mm | 77% | 5.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2005 | 16.5°C | 13.9°C | 11.2°C | 22.0°C | 8.6°C | 132 mm | 82% | 3.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2004 | 17.7°C | 14.8°C | 11.9°C | 21.7°C | 8.3°C | 96 mm | 77% | 4.3 m/s | 6 |
| 2003 | 16.0°C | 13.5°C | 11.1°C | 21.0°C | 8.9°C | 127 mm | 81% | 4.6 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2002 | 17.6°C | 14.7°C | 11.9°C | 21.7°C | 8.7°C | 58 mm | 78% | 3.8 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2001 | 15.2°C | 12.8°C | 10.4°C | 21.7°C | 7.6°C | 88 mm | 77% | 4.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 16.2°C | 13.4°C | 10.7°C | 22.2°C | 7.5°C | 87 mm | 77% | 3.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1999 | 18.3°C | 14.9°C | 11.6°C | 23.1°C | 8.7°C | 80 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1998 | 16.5°C | 14.1°C | 11.6°C | 22.7°C | 7.6°C | 70 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1997 | 16.4°C | 13.6°C | 10.8°C | 20.9°C | 7.9°C | 56 mm | 79% | 3.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1996 | 18.0°C | 14.8°C | 11.6°C | 21.6°C | 8.4°C | 86 mm | 81% | 3.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1995 | 16.7°C | 13.8°C | 10.8°C | 23.8°C | 8.2°C | 104 mm | 77% | 4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1994 | 16.8°C | 14.2°C | 11.6°C | 22.1°C | 8.6°C | 164 mm | 76% | 4.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1993 | 15.7°C | 13.2°C | 10.6°C | 20.5°C | 8.3°C | 186 mm | 78% | 5.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1992 | 17.4°C | 14.4°C | 11.4°C | 22.1°C | 7.5°C | 94 mm | 76% | 3.8 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1991 | 16.8°C | 14.0°C | 11.2°C | 24.6°C | 8.9°C | 194 mm | 79% | 4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1990 | 16.7°C | 14.3°C | 11.8°C | 21.3°C | 9.3°C | 90 mm | 77% | 5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1989 | 18.7°C | 15.6°C | 12.6°C | 24.2°C | 9.5°C | 75 mm | 79% | 2.7 m/s | 6 |
| 1988 | 16.9°C | 14.1°C | 11.2°C | 24.1°C | 7.7°C | 127 mm | 79% | 4.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1987 | 18.4°C | 15.7°C | 12.9°C | 23.8°C | 10.5°C | 130 mm | 78% | 3.9 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1986 | 18.7°C | 15.9°C | 13.2°C | 23.4°C | 9.1°C | 113 mm | 78% | 3.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1985 | 17.8°C | 14.9°C | 12.1°C | 24.0°C | 8.8°C | 195 mm | 79% | 3.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1984 🌧️ | 15.6°C | 13.1°C | 10.5°C | 22.6°C | 8.3°C | 257 mm | 78% | 4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1983 ❄️ | 15.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.4°C | 21.7°C | 8.1°C | 229 mm | 80% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 16.0°C | 13.5°C | 11.1°C | 19.6°C | 8.4°C | 254 mm | 78% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 11.1°C | 21.7°C | 8.8°C | 73 mm | 78% | 4.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 17°C with lows near 11.5°C (mean 14.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 121 mm of rainfall in Invercargill, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 257 mm in 1984.
The hottest January reached 26.5°C in 2018. The coldest dipped to 7.4°C in 2016.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 16.2°C to 17.7°C and overnight lows from 11°C to 12°C over the same span.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 17°C daytime highs and 11.5°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in Invercargill, averaging 14.3°C.
For January in Invercargill, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 17°C and lows of 11.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 4.2 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 5.9 m/s (2017).
The wettest January on record was 1984 with 257 mm. On average, January sees 121 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 Invercargill 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.
