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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.
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January

Weather in Shetland Islands in January 2025

OK Weather
Cool
🌧️
Rainy
If you plan to visit Shetland Islands in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +7°C during the day and approximately 0 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 23 rainy days in the month and around 119 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+7°C
Avg. max. temperature
-6°C
Min.
+11°C
Max.
119 mm
Total precipitation
80%
Avg. humidity
9 m/s
Avg. wind
0 ☀️
Sunny Days
4 ⛅️
Cloudy
23 🌦
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

Going from a maximum of +10°C during the day to a minimum of +1°C during the night, the temperature in January averages around +8°C.

The average maximum temperature goes up 22% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +6°C to +8°C.

Is Shetland Islands warm or cold in January?

Shetland Islands is typically cool in January.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +7°C to +7°C. The minimum temperature also goes down 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
118 mm119 mm85 mm
Wind
8 m/s9 m/s8 m/s
Humidity
80%80%79%
Air pressure
1004 HPa1004 HPa1006 HPa
Sunny days
000
Cloudy days
445
Rainy days
232318
Snowy days
445

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 118 mm to 119 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 80%. Winds are stronger in comparison to December, going up from 8 m/s to 9 m/s on average. 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

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

The average wind speed is 10 m/s getting up to 17 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 increasing during January, going from 4 m/s to 14 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
Typically, there is a 94% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 146 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 12 mm, which is considered light rain. January is a pretty wet month with over 29 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 80% chance of precipitation and 121 mm of rainfall per day. May, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 52% chance of precipitation and 44 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during January in Shetland Islands based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 0% chance of snow on an average day in January, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 7 mm.

Here’s how January is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last January in Shetland Islands?

This is the weather in Shetland Islands in January 2023:
1 January
☁️
+6°C
2 January
🌧️
+6°C
3 January
☁️
+8°C
4 January
🌧️
+9°C
5 January
☁️
+9°C
6 January
☁️
+10°C
7 January
🌧️
+9°C
8 January
☁️
+9°C
9 January
☁️
+8°C
10 January
🌧️
+8°C
11 January
🌧️
+8°C
12 January
🌧️
+7°C
13 January
🌧️
+7°C
14 January
🌧️
+7°C
15 January
🌧️
+6°C
16 January
🌧️
+4°C
17 January
🌧️
+6°C
18 January
☁️
+6°C
19 January
🌧️
+5°C
20 January
☁️
+7°C
21 January
☁️
+8°C
22 January
☁️
+9°C
23 January
🌧️
+10°C
24 January
☁️
+10°C
25 January
☁️
+10°C
26 January
☁️
+7°C
27 January
☁️
+9°C
28 January
☁️
+8°C
29 January
🌧️
+10°C
30 January
🌧️
+6°C
31 January
🌧️
+8°C
In January 2023 Shetland Islands had 0 sunny days, 15 cloudy days, and 16 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +8°C, with an absolute maximum of +10°C and a minimum of +4°C. The average humidity was 80%, with a maximum of 97% and a minimum of 50%. The average wind speed was 10 m/s, with a maximum of 20 m/s and a minimum of 0 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 (+8°C) and the highest in 2006 (+11°C). The driest year was 1996 with only 776 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 1280 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, 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.