January is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth, with average highs near 20.5°C and lows around 13.8°C (mean 17.2°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 80 mm of rainfall and 82% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in New Plymouth was 2018 — when the month averaged 19.9°C — while the coldest was 1993 at 15.2°C. Typical January days reach 20.5°C with nights near 13.8°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is one of the drier months in New Plymouth, averaging 80 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2023 with 183 mm, while the driest was 2022 at 9 mm.
Relative humidity in New Plymouth during January averages 82%. The most humid January was 2018 at 86%, and the least humid was 1984 at 77%.
January receives about 6.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in New Plymouth. The sunniest January was 2022 at 7.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2023 at 6.
Average wind speed in New Plymouth during January is 3.8 m/s. The windiest January was 1983 at 5 m/s, while the calmest were 1981 and 2015 at 2.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 17.4°C | 16.9°C | 16.9°C | 17.2°C | 17.4°C | 0°C |
| Avg High | 20.9°C | 20.1°C | 20.3°C | 20.4°C | 20.7°C | -0.2°C |
| Avg Low | 14.0°C | 13.6°C | 13.5°C | 14.0°C | 14.0°C | 0°C |
| Avg Rain | 92 mm | 91 mm | 61 mm | 83 mm | 73 mm | -19 mm |
January temperatures in New Plymouth have risen by about 0.6°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 6.7°C (1992) to a record high of 26.7°C (2008).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 80 mm, with a wettest year of 183 mm.
One of the best times to visit New Plymouth
January is one of the best times to visit New Plymouth. Expect days averaging 20.5°C and nights around 13.8°C (mean 17.2°C) — warmer than New Plymouth's yearly average — with higher rainfall (80 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 | 20.1°C | 16.5°C | 12.8°C | 24.3°C | 8.8°C | 46 mm | 81% | 3.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2024 | 21.6°C | 18.3°C | 15.0°C | 24.5°C | 11.3°C | 84 mm | 83% | 3.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2023 🌧️ | 21.4°C | 18.3°C | 15.3°C | 24.4°C | 11.4°C | 183 mm | 84% | 3.9 m/s | 6 |
| 2022 | 21.7°C | 18.0°C | 14.3°C | 24.2°C | 10.4°C | 9 mm | 81% | 3.3 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2021 | 19.9°C | 16.9°C | 13.9°C | 22.4°C | 9.7°C | 96 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 7 |
| 2020 | 19.7°C | 16.3°C | 12.8°C | 22.8°C | 9.4°C | 22 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2019 | 21.2°C | 18.1°C | 15.0°C | 25.3°C | 11.2°C | 45 mm | 85% | 3.9 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2018 🔥 | 23.0°C | 19.9°C | 16.9°C | 26.6°C | 11.5°C | 116 mm | 86% | 3.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2017 | 18.4°C | 15.6°C | 12.8°C | 21.0°C | 7.5°C | 94 mm | 84% | 4.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2016 | 21.2°C | 17.9°C | 14.6°C | 24.5°C | 10.5°C | 73 mm | 83% | 3.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2015 | 22.1°C | 18.2°C | 14.4°C | 25.9°C | 11.8°C | 43 mm | 78% | 2.9 m/s | 7.7 |
| 2014 | 18.9°C | 15.6°C | 12.3°C | 23.8°C | 8.5°C | 81 mm | 80% | 4.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2013 | 20.3°C | 17.0°C | 13.7°C | 24.6°C | 10.6°C | 42 mm | 80% | 4.1 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2012 | 18.9°C | 16.1°C | 13.3°C | 22.2°C | 8.4°C | 88 mm | 83% | 4.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2011 | 21.0°C | 17.4°C | 13.7°C | 25.0°C | 9.9°C | 166 mm | 81% | 4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2010 | 19.4°C | 16.3°C | 13.2°C | 23.8°C | 9.2°C | 81 mm | 83% | 3.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2009 | 20.0°C | 16.5°C | 13.0°C | 22.8°C | 10.2°C | 52 mm | 82% | 3.8 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2008 | 22.3°C | 18.3°C | 14.2°C | 26.7°C | 9.0°C | 40 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2007 | 19.4°C | 16.3°C | 13.3°C | 22.3°C | 7.7°C | 84 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 20.5°C | 17.1°C | 13.8°C | 25.8°C | 9.9°C | 85 mm | 81% | 4.1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2005 | 19.8°C | 16.5°C | 13.2°C | 25.1°C | 9.8°C | 48 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2004 | 20.8°C | 17.4°C | 14.0°C | 23.3°C | 10.8°C | 87 mm | 85% | 3.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2003 | 20.1°C | 16.5°C | 13.0°C | 24.9°C | 8.4°C | 32 mm | 79% | 4.1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2002 | 20.5°C | 17.3°C | 14.1°C | 24.1°C | 9.0°C | 78 mm | 81% | 3.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2001 | 19.4°C | 16.1°C | 12.7°C | 22.8°C | 9.1°C | 32 mm | 79% | 4 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2000 | 20.2°C | 16.8°C | 13.3°C | 23.1°C | 9.9°C | 77 mm | 80% | 3.9 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1999 | 22.6°C | 19.0°C | 15.5°C | 24.8°C | 10.9°C | 117 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1998 | 19.7°C | 16.6°C | 13.4°C | 23.2°C | 7.8°C | 55 mm | 84% | 3.9 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1997 | 19.5°C | 16.0°C | 12.5°C | 22.3°C | 8.1°C | 73 mm | 81% | 3.5 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1996 | 20.9°C | 17.9°C | 15.0°C | 23.7°C | 10.2°C | 91 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1995 | 20.4°C | 17.2°C | 14.1°C | 24.2°C | 7.8°C | 75 mm | 82% | 3.4 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1994 | 20.1°C | 16.9°C | 13.7°C | 22.8°C | 8.9°C | 96 mm | 83% | 4.1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1993 ❄️ | 18.5°C | 15.2°C | 11.9°C | 20.9°C | 8.3°C | 73 mm | 83% | 4.3 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1992 | 19.7°C | 16.5°C | 13.3°C | 22.1°C | 6.7°C | 97 mm | 83% | 3.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1991 | 19.5°C | 16.4°C | 13.2°C | 23.5°C | 8.2°C | 136 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1990 | 20.3°C | 16.8°C | 13.3°C | 23.8°C | 10.2°C | 94 mm | 82% | 3.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1989 | 22.1°C | 18.8°C | 15.4°C | 24.9°C | 10.2°C | 127 mm | 81% | 3.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1988 | 20.6°C | 16.8°C | 12.9°C | 24.6°C | 10.9°C | 12 mm | 79% | 3.8 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1987 | 21.3°C | 17.7°C | 14.0°C | 24.5°C | 10.1°C | 119 mm | 79% | 3.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1986 | 21.8°C | 18.7°C | 15.6°C | 26.6°C | 8.5°C | 145 mm | 82% | 3.9 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1985 | 21.7°C | 18.4°C | 15.1°C | 25.6°C | 13.0°C | 117 mm | 80% | 3.9 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1984 | 19.5°C | 15.9°C | 12.3°C | 22.9°C | 8.2°C | 106 mm | 77% | 3.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1983 | 18.5°C | 15.3°C | 12.0°C | 21.3°C | 8.3°C | 93 mm | 80% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 20.4°C | 17.0°C | 13.5°C | 23.3°C | 10.5°C | 52 mm | 80% | 4.3 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 22.0°C | 18.4°C | 14.9°C | 24.9°C | 9.3°C | 61 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 20.5°C with lows near 13.8°C (mean 17.2°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 80 mm of rainfall in New Plymouth, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 183 mm in 2023.
The hottest January reached 26.7°C in 2008. The coldest dipped to 6.7°C in 1992.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.6°C. Daytime highs moved from 20.4°C to 20.9°C and overnight lows from 13.6°C to 14.3°C over the same span.
January is one of the warmer months of the year in New Plymouth and one of the drier months, so plan for around 20.5°C daytime highs and 13.8°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 11th coolest month in New Plymouth, averaging 17.2°C.
For January in New Plymouth, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 20.5°C and lows of 13.8°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 82% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 3.8 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 5 m/s (1983).
The wettest January on record was 2023 with 183 mm. On average, January sees 80 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 New Plymouth 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.
