Byron Bay (Byron) weather in January
January in Byron Bay: hot, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take sticky heat.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#1 of 12 months in Byron Bay · #291 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 86/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 29°C
- Nights
- 22°C
- Wet days
- 11
- Sun
- 11.3 h
- Humidity
- 78%
- Daylight
- 14 h
Traveller notes on Byron Bay in January
January in Byron Bay is hot, wet and packed all at once. The forum's summary is that it either rains or is stinking hot, with school holidays running to late January, accommodation at peak prices and booked well ahead, and the town super-packed at weekends. The record backs the wet half: near fourteen rain-days, against 27°C by day and 22 overnight, with the sea at 25. Regulars' fix for the heat is timing — start walks at first light. Their fix for everything else is to come in April or May instead.
Other months in Byron Bay
Forum posters describe July temperatures in Byron Bay as commonly around 19-20C most days, mild for the depths of Australian winter thanks to the town's far-northern New South Wales location, warmer overall than beaches further south. Posters are consistent that Byron Bay is worth visiting any time of year, with shorts still perfectly reasonable daywear, though a wetsuit becomes genuinely necessary for winter swimming or surfing. Posters recommend long pants or, for women, tights under a skirt for cooler evening outings. Posters generally rate July as mild and pleasant by regional winter standards for Byron Bay, workable for outdoor exploring even if the water itself runs cold.
Add your own note from Byron Bay's card on the map.
Byron Bay climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Byron Bay in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsSummer holiday peak, Summer holidays in Australia, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Byron Bay's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherByron Bay's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Byron Bay in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Leopard sharks at Julian Rocks
1 Dec – 30 Apr · usuallyDive seasonThrough the warm months leopard sharks gather on the sand at Julian Rocks, twenty minutes offshore, and swap places with the grey nurse sharks that hold there in winter. The current decides which side of the rock you dive. Source ↗
- Season
Summer holiday peak
20 Dec – 31 JanSchool holidaysCrowdedBook earlyFrom Christmas to Australia Day the town runs at capacity: parking is a sport, the main beach is shoulder to shoulder and rentals go for multiples of the off-peak rate. Locals leave.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Byron Bay — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Byron Bay?
Byron Bay in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Byron Bay?
- January in Byron Bay: hot, rainy, with clean air — fine if you can take sticky heat. It ranks #1 of 12 months for Byron Bay on SeasonMap's comfort score (86/100).
- What is the weather like in Byron Bay in January?
- In January, Byron Bay averages a daily high of 29°C and a low of 22.1°C, with about 129.4 mm of rain over roughly 10.6 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Byron Bay in January?
- Byron Bay has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 33 in January.
Within 300 km: Gold Coast's Australian summer holidays on 15 Dec – 26 Jan, and Brisbane's Australia Day on 26 Jan.