January is one of the cooler months of the year in Melbourne, with average highs near 21.4°C and lows around 13.9°C (mean 17.7°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 62 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Melbourne. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Melbourne was 1989 — when the month averaged 20.9°C — while the coldest was 1981 at 13.9°C. Typical January days reach 21.4°C with nights near 13.9°C. The long-term January temperature trend is broadly flat.
January is one of the drier months in Melbourne, averaging 62 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2016 with 233 mm, while the driest was 2012 at 2 mm.
Relative humidity in Melbourne during January averages 78%. The most humid January was 1993 at 84%, and the least humid was 1981 at 68%.
January receives about 3.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Melbourne. The sunniest Januarys were 2003 and 2012 at 3.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1988 at 2.4.
Average wind speed in Melbourne during January is 3.4 m/s. The windiest January was 1994 at 4.1 m/s, while the calmest was 2002 at 2.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 17.0°C | 18.5°C | 17.4°C | 17.4°C | 18.1°C | +1.1°C |
| Avg High | 20.9°C | 21.8°C | 21.2°C | 21.2°C | 21.8°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Low | 13.0°C | 15.1°C | 13.5°C | 13.7°C | 14.3°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 55 mm | 88 mm | 42 mm | 82 mm | 29 mm | -26 mm |
January temperatures in Melbourne have risen by about 1.6°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -2°C (1986) to a record high of 28.8°C (2017).
Rainfall in January is one of the drier months, averaging 62 mm, with a wettest year of 233 mm.
A good time to visit Melbourne
January is a good time to visit Melbourne, with days averaging 21.4°C and nights around 13.9°C (mean 17.7°C, cooler than Melbourne's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. November and April are marginally more temperate, but January still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.5°C | 16.3°C | 12.0°C | 27.4°C | 7.1°C | 39 mm | 74% | 3.6 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2024 | 21.7°C | 18.4°C | 15.0°C | 26.6°C | 9.9°C | 47 mm | 81% | 3.8 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 23.1°C | 19.1°C | 15.1°C | 27.7°C | 5.7°C | 18 mm | 78% | 2.9 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 21.7°C | 18.0°C | 14.2°C | 28.1°C | 4.4°C | 37 mm | 72% | 3.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2021 | 21.2°C | 17.3°C | 13.4°C | 26.6°C | 6.9°C | 13 mm | 79% | 3.1 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 22.7°C | 19.2°C | 15.8°C | 27.4°C | 5.4°C | 20 mm | 77% | 3.6 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 21.2°C | 17.6°C | 14.1°C | 27.6°C | 7.1°C | 138 mm | 79% | 3.5 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2018 | 19.6°C | 16.3°C | 13.0°C | 25.3°C | 2.8°C | 55 mm | 82% | 4 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2017 | 23.4°C | 19.5°C | 15.6°C | 28.8°C | 9.0°C | 49 mm | 74% | 3.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2016 🌧️ | 19.9°C | 16.6°C | 13.3°C | 26.8°C | 3.8°C | 233 mm | 81% | 3.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2015 | 21.6°C | 18.1°C | 14.6°C | 27.4°C | 7.9°C | 56 mm | 80% | 3.3 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 20.9°C | 17.0°C | 13.1°C | 27.3°C | 4.9°C | 120 mm | 76% | 3.6 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2013 | 24.0°C | 20.4°C | 16.7°C | 26.6°C | 10.4°C | 32 mm | 78% | 3.1 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2012 | 21.5°C | 17.5°C | 13.5°C | 25.6°C | 5.1°C | 2 mm | 74% | 3 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2011 | 21.3°C | 17.0°C | 12.7°C | 25.5°C | 6.7°C | 96 mm | 75% | 3.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2010 | 18.5°C | 14.3°C | 10.1°C | 25.6°C | 2.2°C | 42 mm | 75% | 3.9 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2009 | 20.4°C | 16.4°C | 12.3°C | 26.0°C | 2.3°C | 32 mm | 76% | 3.1 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2008 | 22.0°C | 18.5°C | 15.0°C | 26.2°C | 5.0°C | 66 mm | 76% | 3.4 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2007 | 23.2°C | 19.9°C | 16.6°C | 28.2°C | 6.8°C | 46 mm | 75% | 3.5 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2006 | 21.6°C | 17.9°C | 14.2°C | 25.6°C | 6.4°C | 15 mm | 77% | 3.4 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2005 | 21.6°C | 18.2°C | 14.9°C | 26.0°C | 7.6°C | 43 mm | 81% | 3.7 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2004 | 21.5°C | 17.6°C | 13.6°C | 26.1°C | 7.6°C | 59 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2003 | 18.3°C | 14.0°C | 9.7°C | 23.5°C | 2.9°C | 17 mm | 80% | 3.5 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2002 | 21.6°C | 17.8°C | 14.0°C | 26.1°C | 2.5°C | 57 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2001 | 20.6°C | 15.9°C | 11.1°C | 27.9°C | 4.6°C | 20 mm | 70% | 3.5 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2000 | 20.9°C | 17.3°C | 13.7°C | 25.4°C | 3.0°C | 66 mm | 79% | 3.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1999 | 22.7°C | 19.3°C | 15.9°C | 25.8°C | 5.6°C | 83 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1998 | 21.2°C | 18.0°C | 14.9°C | 25.7°C | 8.3°C | 118 mm | 84% | 3.7 m/s | 3 |
| 1997 | 22.5°C | 18.6°C | 14.7°C | 27.5°C | 3.5°C | 69 mm | 75% | 3.2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1996 | 20.4°C | 16.6°C | 12.8°C | 24.8°C | 0.7°C | 81 mm | 81% | 3.6 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1995 | 19.6°C | 16.1°C | 12.5°C | 24.3°C | 5.9°C | 62 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 3 |
| 1994 | 21.4°C | 18.5°C | 15.5°C | 26.3°C | 7.4°C | 93 mm | 80% | 4.1 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1993 | 23.0°C | 20.5°C | 17.9°C | 26.2°C | 10.6°C | 153 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1992 | 20.6°C | 17.0°C | 13.5°C | 25.5°C | 6.6°C | 102 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1991 | 23.4°C | 20.2°C | 16.9°C | 27.0°C | 8.7°C | 100 mm | 81% | 3.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 23.4°C | 19.9°C | 16.3°C | 26.6°C | 8.9°C | 22 mm | 79% | 3.1 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1989 🔥 | 24.9°C | 20.9°C | 16.9°C | 27.5°C | 9.3°C | 83 mm | 77% | 3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1988 | 20.5°C | 17.4°C | 14.2°C | 25.3°C | 5.5°C | 71 mm | 79% | 3.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1987 | 20.8°C | 16.5°C | 12.2°C | 26.8°C | 5.6°C | 56 mm | 79% | 3.8 m/s | 3 |
| 1986 | 20.4°C | 16.6°C | 12.7°C | 24.1°C | -2.0°C | 96 mm | 80% | 3.4 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1985 | 19.6°C | 15.0°C | 10.4°C | 26.0°C | -1.7°C | 16 mm | 71% | 3.9 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1984 | 21.1°C | 17.7°C | 14.3°C | 26.2°C | 7.6°C | 27 mm | 82% | 3.7 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1983 | 20.6°C | 16.9°C | 13.2°C | 25.7°C | 6.4°C | 101 mm | 77% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 22.0°C | 17.7°C | 13.5°C | 26.7°C | 2.0°C | 38 mm | 73% | 3.4 m/s | — |
| 1981 ❄️ | 18.6°C | 13.9°C | 9.3°C | 23.5°C | 3.2°C | 9 mm | 68% | 3.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 21.4°C with lows near 13.9°C (mean 17.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 62 mm of rainfall in Melbourne, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 233 mm in 2016.
The hottest January reached 28.8°C in 2017. The coldest dipped to -2°C in 1986.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.6°C. Daytime highs moved from 20.4°C to 21.6°C and overnight lows from 12.1°C to 13.9°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Melbourne and one of the drier months, so plan for around 21.4°C daytime highs and 13.9°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Melbourne, averaging 17.7°C.
For January in Melbourne, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 21.4°C and lows of 13.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 3.4 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 4.1 m/s (1994).
The wettest January on record was 2016 with 233 mm. On average, January sees 62 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 Melbourne 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.
