Your trips
Organise your trips easily with tabs
London
Shetland Islands
Any date
+ Search
background

Shetland Islands in January: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Planning a trip and want to know what the weather in Shetland Islands in January will be like? Take a look at our weather guide for Shetland Islands, based on historical data.
Check flight prices to Shetland Islands on Avionero:
January

Weather in Shetland Islands in January 2025

OK Weather
Cool
🌧️
Rainy
January could be a good time to visit Shetland Islands, as the weather is generally fine. The average high temperature is around +7°C, and there are typically 0 sunny days in January. However, expect about 16 rainy days, and total monthly rainfall of approximately 119 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • January is usually the driest month of the year in Shetland Islands

Average weather

☀️
+7°C
Avg. max. temperature
-6°C
Min.
+11°C
Max.
119 mm
Total precipitation
79%
Avg. humidity
8 m/s
Avg. wind
0 ☀️
Sunny Days
14 ⛅️
Cloudy
16 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Shetland Islands has OK weather in January.

Average temperature in Shetland Islands in January

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Shetland Islands for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in January is +8°C on average, with a range between a maximum of +11°C during the day and a minimum of +2°C at night.

The average maximum temperature goes down 67% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +11°C to +5°C.

Is Shetland Islands warm or cold in January?

Shetland Islands is typically cool in January.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +7°C to +7°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +4°C to +3°C.

Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

January is one of the coolest months in Shetland Islands, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Shetland Islands in January

Shetland Islands weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
DecemberJanuaryFebruary
Avg. temperature
+7°C+7°C+6°C
Min. temperature
-6°C-6°C-7°C
Max. temperature
+12°C+11°C+13°C
Rainfall
117 mm119 mm91 mm
Wind
8 m/s8 m/s8 m/s
Humidity
79%79%79%
Air pressure
1003 HPa1003 HPa1006 HPa
Sunny days
101
Cloudy days
141415
Rainy days
151611
Snowy days
111

January weather is still as ok as in December. The temperature levels stay the same in the area of +7°C for average maximum temperature during the day. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 117 mm to 119 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 79%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 8 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 1 sunny days in December to 0 in January.

February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Shetland Islands in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 12 m/s getting up to 18 m/s which is quite strong. The wind will cause branches to move and ground debris to fly around.

The average wind speed in Shetland Islands is gradually decreasing during January, going from 13 m/s to 10 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Shetland Islands based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in January is about 144 mm, with a 81% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 18 mm, which is considered light rain. January is a pretty wet month with over 25 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of galoshes.
January is one of the rainiest months in Shetland Islands, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Shetland Islands wettest month is November, where a typical day has a 50% chance of precipitation and 122 mm of rainfall per day. May, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 19% chance of precipitation and 44 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last January in Shetland Islands?

This is the weather in Shetland Islands in January 2023:
1 January
🌧️
+11°C
2 January
🌧️
+10°C
3 January
🌧️
+6°C
4 January
🌧️
+6°C
5 January
☁️
+6°C
6 January
☁️
+8°C
7 January
🌧️
+7°C
8 January
🌧️
+7°C
9 January
🌧️
+7°C
10 January
☁️
+9°C
11 January
🌧️
+9°C
12 January
☁️
+10°C
13 January
☁️
+10°C
14 January
☁️
+7°C
15 January
☁️
+9°C
16 January
🌧️
+9°C
17 January
☁️
+9°C
18 January
☁️
+9°C
19 January
🌧️
+9°C
20 January
☁️
+8°C
21 January
☁️
+9°C
22 January
☁️
+9°C
23 January
☁️
+10°C
24 January
☁️
+9°C
25 January
🌧️
+9°C
26 January
🌧️
+10°C
27 January
☁️
+8°C
28 January
🌧️
+10°C
29 January
🌧️
+10°C
30 January
☁️
+5°C
31 January
🌧️
+5°C
In January 2023 Shetland Islands had 0 sunny days, 16 cloudy days, and 15 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +8°C, with an absolute maximum of +11°C and a minimum of +5°C. The average humidity was 82%, with a maximum of 98% and a minimum of 55%. The average wind speed was 12 m/s, with a maximum of 22 m/s and a minimum of 1 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?

Climate Change over Years

This is how Shetland Islands climate have been changing during last 43 years period.

The climate in Shetland Islands in January has not changed much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+6°C) and the highest in 1989 (+10°C). The driest year was 1996 with only 39 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 244 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Shetland Islands in January:

Is January a good time to visit Shetland Islands?

It’s always a good time to visit Shetland Islands, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Shetland Islands in January?

Not really, January is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Shetland Islands rainy in January?

Shetland Islands is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Shetland Islands in January?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Shetland Islands in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in United Kingdom

Check out the weather for other cities in United Kingdom.

Monthly weather in Shetland Islands

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Shetland Islands, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

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.