Hong Kong (HK) weather in January

January in Hong Kong: nice, a little rain, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Hong Kong🇭🇰 Hong Kong · Southern China & Hong Kong · City84
  1. 84Jan
  2. 86Feb
  3. 80Mar
  4. 71Apr
  5. 55May
  6. 40Jun
  7. 50Jul
  8. 38Aug
  9. 47Sep
  10. 65Oct
  11. 78Nov
  12. 89Dec

#3 of 12 months in Hong Kong · #358 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 84/100 (tier A)

Days
19°C
Nights
14°C
Wet days
5
Sun
7.4 h
Humidity
72%
Daylight
11 h
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Photo: John Benedict Malong · Pexels

What January is like in Hong Kong

Cool, dry and clear: the best hiking weather of the year, and Chinese New Year (movable, January or February) closes businesses for days.

peakfestival

confidence: high

Traveller notes on Hong Kong in January

Hong Kong forum threads describe January as one of the coldest months by local standards but genuinely pleasant overall - typical daytime temperatures in the mid-to-high teens Celsius rising toward 20C, low humidity, and often sunny, dry conditions with little chance of rain. Posters noted an occasional cold front can drop temperatures suddenly into single digits, though this is the exception rather than the norm. A light jacket for outdoors plus something extra for aggressively air-conditioned indoor spaces was the standard packing tip - one visitor specifically noted friends from tropical Singapore found even mild Hong Kong January weather genuinely cold by comparison.
VictoriaHarbourRegular · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Hong Kong

March here is cool by local standards - 15 to 25C is the range regulars quote and our row sits at 22.5C over 17.9C - with showers and sun in roughly equal measure. The thing they warn about is fog. Some March days it is thick enough that you cannot see across the street, and crucially it is worse with height and near the water than it is downtown, so the Peak and the harbour views are the part of the trip to keep flexible. Our 7.8 hours of sun inside 12 of daylight is that greyness counted. Humidity is already 81 percent. Layers rather than a coat; a long sleeve over a t-shirt is their formula. The record: 73.5mm of rain across 10.2 days and AQI 98.
TheFogSitsOnThePeak · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Hong Kong-forum threads on typhoon season confirm August sits at the wettest, most humid stretch of the year, weather closely tracking July with steamy conditions and short, intense afternoon bursts rather than a long, steady soak. Posters run the actual odds for anyone worried: over decades of records, a serious storm signal has been called on average only a handful of days across the entire month, and even a direct hit rarely lasts longer than about half a day before easing. Regulars call the humidity, not any single storm, the real daily challenge - light, breathable clothing and frequent breaks in air-conditioned malls or the MTR are the standing advice regardless of the sky. The record: 31.2C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 26.7C nights, an extraordinarily high 339mm across 26.1 days, 88 percent humidity, a 28.8C sea and an unhealthy 75 AQI.
VictoriaHarbourAugustRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Hong Kong-forum threads on February split on one detail: the general climate is cool and dry, but when Chinese New Year lands in the month the weather is often described as cool and damp, closer to foggy than crisp. Crowds follow the lunar calendar more than the thermometer - the first day of the new year is called a 'very dead city' with museums and markets shut, while day three or four brings a crowded city as everyone comes back out. Outside CNY week, posters say to expect no crazy waits and zero typhoon risk this month. The record: 19.9C days, 14.9C nights, 34mm of rain across 6.2 days, 7.5 hours of sun. What the forums undersell: AQI runs 96 here, the second-haziest month on the calendar after December.
TempleStreetCNYWatcher · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Hong Kong-forum threads on December packing are consistent: T-shirt weather by day, a light jacket or jumper for evenings and for indoor air conditioning that regulars warn runs full blast regardless of season, and one of the driest stretches of the year so an umbrella is a just-in-case rather than a must. The record matches: 20.5C days feeling like 19C, 15.3C nights, just 14mm total across under three days, and eight hours of sun. What the forum posts don't dwell on but the data does: December's AQI runs 112, the hazier end of the city's year, so it's a comfortable month to be outside but not always a clear one.
MidLevelsRegular · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Hong Kong's overview. Add your own note from Hong Kong's card on the map.

Hong Kong climate normals — January

Daytime high19°C / 67°F😎 nice
Nighttime low14°C / 58°F
Feels like (high)18°C / 64°F
Sea temperature18°C / 65°F🧊 bracing
Rainfall34 mm / 1.4 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days5 days
Humidity72%💧 humid
Dew point12°C / 53°F
Sunshine7.4 h/day
Daylight10.9 h
Wind17 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)103😷 poor

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Hong Kong 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 crowdsthe editor's peak month, Hong Kong Marathon, Christmas and New Year holidays in Hong Kong

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Hong Kong'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).

Best weatherHong Kong's weather peaks December–February.

January includes Hong Kong Marathon.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Hong Kong in January

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Festival

    Hong Kong Marathon

    25 Jan – 25 Feb · usuallySporting eventCrowdedClosures

    Around seventy thousand runners on a Sunday in the coolest weeks of the year. Nathan Road, the harbour tunnels and the Island's western corridor close overnight and reopen about lunchtime. Source ↗

What's on around the world in January →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Hong Kong — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Hong Kong?

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Hong Kong in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit Hong Kong?
January in Hong Kong: nice, a little rain, with poor air quality — fine if you can take poor air. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Hong Kong on SeasonMap's comfort score (84/100).
What is the weather like in Hong Kong in January?
In January, Hong Kong averages a daily high of 19.3°C and a low of 14.4°C, with about 34.3 mm of rain over roughly 4.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Hong Kong in January?
Hong Kong has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 103 in January.

Within 300 km: Macau's Light Up Macao around 1 Dec – 11 Jan.