Weather in Kota Kinabalu in January 2026
- January is usually the coldest month of the year in Kota Kinabalu;
Average weather
Average temperature in Kota Kinabalu in January
Going from a maximum of +32°C during the day to a minimum of +22°C during the night, the temperature in January averages around +30°C.
The average maximum temperature goes up 0% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +31°C to +31°C.
Is Kota Kinabalu warm or cold in January?
Kota Kinabalu is typically warm in January.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +30°C to +30°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +25°C to +24°C.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
January is the coldest month in Kota Kinabalu, here is the comparison with other months:
Climate in Kota Kinabalu in January
| December | January | February | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +30°C | +30°C | +30°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +22°C | +20°C | +20°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +34°C | +34°C | +33°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 218 mm | 161 mm | 92 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 1 m/s | 1 m/s | 1 m/s | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 83% | 83% | 82% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1009 HPa | 1009 HPa | 1009 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 2 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | 19 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
January weather is still as ok as in December. The temperature levels stay the same in the area of +30°C for average maximum temperature during the day. As January arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 218 mm to 161 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 83%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 1 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 0 sunny days during the month.
February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 1 m/s getting up to 2 m/s which is a light breeze; barely moving the tree leaves.
The average wind speed in Kota Kinabalu is gradually increasing during January, going from 1 m/s to 2 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last January in Kota Kinabalu?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Kota Kinabalu in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1984 (+29°C) and the highest in 2019 (+32°C). The driest year was 2002 with only 967 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2024 with 3187 mm.
FAQ
Is January a good time to visit Kota Kinabalu?
Can you sunbathe in Kota Kinabalu in January?
Is Kota Kinabalu rainy in January?
Is it sunny in Kota Kinabalu in January?
Other cities in Malaysia
Monthly weather in Kota Kinabalu
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Kota Kinabalu, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.
