January is one of the cooler months of the year in Exeter, with average highs near 8.1°C and lows around 4.4°C (mean 6.3°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 114 mm of rainfall and 91% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Exeter. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Januarys in Exeter were 1990 and 2007 — when the month averaged 8°C — while the coldest was 1987 at 2.2°C. Typical January days reach 8.1°C with nights near 4.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Exeter, averaging 114 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2016 with 234 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 25 mm.
Relative humidity in Exeter during January averages 91%. The most humid Januarys were 1982, 1996 and 1997 at 94%, and the least humid was 1984 at 87%.
January receives about 0.8 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Exeter. The sunniest Januarys were 1985, 2000 and 2003 at 1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1995, 2002 and 2013, among others at 0.7.
Average wind speed in Exeter during January is 5.1 m/s. The windiest January was 1984 at 6.6 m/s, while the calmest was 2022 at 3.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 5.6°C | 6.4°C | 6.7°C | 6.2°C | 6.4°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 7.5°C | 8.2°C | 8.4°C | 8.0°C | 8.3°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg Low | 3.6°C | 4.5°C | 5.0°C | 4.4°C | 4.6°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 107 mm | 118 mm | 99 mm | 122 mm | 128 mm | +22 mm |
January temperatures in Exeter have risen by about 0.6°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -7.2°C (1987) to a record high of 12.9°C (2016).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 114 mm, with a wettest year of 234 mm.
A quieter season to visit Exeter
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Exeter. That said, January — with days averaging 8.1°C and nights around 4.4°C (mean 6.3°C) and higher rainfall (114 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.3°C | 6.3°C | 4.4°C | 12.8°C | 0.2°C | 163 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2024 | 7.9°C | 6.1°C | 4.3°C | 12.6°C | -0.6°C | 109 mm | 90% | 5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2023 | 8.3°C | 6.4°C | 4.4°C | 12.3°C | 0.8°C | 154 mm | 90% | 4.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2022 | 8.9°C | 6.7°C | 4.6°C | 12.8°C | 0.3°C | 60 mm | 91% | 3.7 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2021 | 7.2°C | 5.5°C | 3.8°C | 11.2°C | -0.3°C | 163 mm | 92% | 5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2020 | 9.2°C | 7.5°C | 5.8°C | 12.5°C | 1.8°C | 121 mm | 92% | 4.8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2019 | 7.5°C | 5.8°C | 4.1°C | 10.7°C | 0.8°C | 78 mm | 90% | 4 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2018 | 9.2°C | 7.3°C | 5.5°C | 12.6°C | 1.6°C | 138 mm | 91% | 5.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2017 | 8.1°C | 6.3°C | 4.4°C | 11.0°C | 1.0°C | 91 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2016 🌧️ | 9.1°C | 7.4°C | 5.7°C | 12.9°C | 1.8°C | 234 mm | 90% | 5.8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2015 | 8.8°C | 6.6°C | 4.3°C | 12.4°C | 0.1°C | 155 mm | 89% | 5.6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2014 | 9.3°C | 7.3°C | 5.3°C | 11.8°C | 2.9°C | 135 mm | 91% | 5.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2013 | 7.6°C | 6.1°C | 4.6°C | 11.9°C | -1.3°C | 130 mm | 91% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2012 | 9.0°C | 7.2°C | 5.4°C | 12.0°C | 0.9°C | 77 mm | 90% | 5.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2011 | 6.7°C | 5.0°C | 3.2°C | 11.1°C | -1.4°C | 103 mm | 92% | 4.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2010 | 5.1°C | 3.4°C | 1.6°C | 10.2°C | -2.5°C | 85 mm | 92% | 4.2 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 7.0°C | 5.5°C | 3.9°C | 10.5°C | -2.0°C | 131 mm | 91% | 4.9 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 9.7°C | 7.9°C | 6.1°C | 12.4°C | 3.6°C | 121 mm | 91% | 5.8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2007 | 9.8°C | 8.0°C | 6.3°C | 12.6°C | 0.3°C | 102 mm | 90% | 6.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2006 | 7.4°C | 5.7°C | 4.1°C | 11.2°C | -0.2°C | 44 mm | 91% | 4.6 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2005 | 9.3°C | 7.4°C | 5.6°C | 12.2°C | 1.1°C | 69 mm | 90% | 5.9 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2004 | 8.8°C | 7.1°C | 5.5°C | 11.7°C | -1.1°C | 137 mm | 91% | 5.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2003 | 7.5°C | 5.8°C | 4.1°C | 12.7°C | -0.7°C | 103 mm | 90% | 5.7 m/s | 1 |
| 2002 | 9.4°C | 7.6°C | 5.8°C | 12.3°C | 1.3°C | 114 mm | 92% | 5.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2001 | 7.4°C | 5.9°C | 4.3°C | 11.8°C | 1.5°C | 126 mm | 91% | 5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 2000 | 7.9°C | 5.9°C | 3.9°C | 10.9°C | 0.8°C | 41 mm | 91% | 4.4 m/s | 1 |
| 1999 | 9.3°C | 7.3°C | 5.4°C | 12.1°C | 0.3°C | 118 mm | 91% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1998 | 8.7°C | 6.9°C | 5.1°C | 12.4°C | 0.3°C | 133 mm | 90% | 6.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1997 | 5.2°C | 3.6°C | 2.0°C | 8.9°C | -4.4°C | 25 mm | 94% | 4.3 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1996 | 8.3°C | 6.8°C | 5.3°C | 11.9°C | -2.7°C | 153 mm | 94% | 5.8 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1995 | 9.0°C | 6.9°C | 4.7°C | 11.8°C | 0.1°C | 180 mm | 91% | 6.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1994 | 8.4°C | 6.5°C | 4.7°C | 11.2°C | 0.7°C | 146 mm | 91% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1993 | 9.7°C | 7.6°C | 5.6°C | 11.8°C | 1.6°C | 123 mm | 91% | 5.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1992 | 6.9°C | 5.1°C | 3.2°C | 11.4°C | 0.0°C | 40 mm | 92% | 4.1 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1991 | 7.0°C | 5.1°C | 3.2°C | 11.9°C | -1.1°C | 112 mm | 89% | 5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1990 🔥 | 9.8°C | 8.0°C | 6.2°C | 12.2°C | 3.7°C | 150 mm | 92% | 5.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1989 | 9.5°C | 7.3°C | 5.1°C | 11.9°C | 1.7°C | 54 mm | 90% | 4.1 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1988 | 8.9°C | 7.0°C | 5.2°C | 12.1°C | 2.1°C | 192 mm | 91% | 5.5 m/s | 0.9 |
| 1987 ❄️ | 3.9°C | 2.2°C | 0.5°C | 11.4°C | -7.2°C | 30 mm | 89% | 4.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1986 | 7.5°C | 5.7°C | 3.9°C | 11.5°C | -0.2°C | 133 mm | 89% | 5.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1985 | 4.6°C | 2.7°C | 0.7°C | 11.5°C | -3.7°C | 103 mm | 91% | 4.4 m/s | 1 |
| 1984 | 8.0°C | 5.8°C | 3.6°C | 12.1°C | -1.6°C | 179 mm | 87% | 6.6 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1983 | 9.3°C | 7.4°C | 5.6°C | 12.0°C | 1.6°C | 107 mm | 91% | 5.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 7.3°C | 5.6°C | 3.9°C | 11.2°C | -2.5°C | 114 mm | 94% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 8.3°C | 6.3°C | 4.2°C | 10.6°C | -0.4°C | 49 mm | 90% | 4.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 8.1°C with lows near 4.4°C (mean 6.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 114 mm of rainfall in Exeter, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 234 mm in 2016.
The hottest January reached 12.9°C in 2016. The coldest dipped to -7.2°C in 1987.
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 7.5°C to 8.1°C and overnight lows from 3.6°C to 4.3°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Exeter and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 8.1°C daytime highs and 4.4°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Exeter, averaging 6.3°C.
For January in Exeter, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 8.1°C and lows of 4.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 91% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 5.1 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 6.6 m/s (1984).
The wettest January on record was 2016 with 234 mm. On average, January sees 114 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 Exeter 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.
