Athens weather in January
In January, Athens has daytime highs averaging 12 °C, nights around 5.2 °C, with 7.3 wet days, and a sea temperature of 15 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 11.8°C Average high
- 5.2°C Average low
- 7.3days Wet days
- 55mm Rainfall
- 15.2°C Sea temperature
- 9.8h Daylight
Daily temperatures through January
How January develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 January | 11.8 °C | 5.2 °C | 22 % |
| 11–20 January | 12.1 °C | 5.4 °C | 21 % |
| 21–31 January | 11.6 °C | 5.0 °C | 27 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 21–31 of January (27 % of days) and least likely over days 11–20 (21 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical January | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 1.2 of 31 | 4 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 7.3 of 31 | 23 % |
Conditions in January
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 8.5 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 20 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | -5.8 °C |
| Relative humidity | 78 % |
| Wind speed | 15 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 54 % |
Where Athens ranks in January
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Warmest sea temperatures in Europe in January | 12thof 50 | 15 °C |
| Best beach destinations in Europe in January | 18thof 50 | 21/100 |
| Places with the best weather in Europe in January | 28thof 50 | 58/100 |
| The warmest places in Europe in January | 39thof 50 | 12 °C |
January compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.8 °C | 55 mm | 54 % |
| February | 12.8 °C | 48 mm | 51 % |
| March | 15.6 °C | 50 mm | 47 % |
| November | 17.6 °C | 50 mm | 52 % |
| December | 13.1 °C | 64 mm | 57 % |
See all twelve months for Athens
- January is the 12th warmest month here.
- It is the 11th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 11th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 9.8 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 7.3 of 31 days — 23 % of the month.
- Nights are about 6.6 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest January day on record since 1991 reached 20 °C, 8.3 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 21 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
QuestionsJanuary in Athens, answered
How warm is Athens in January?
Daily highs average 12 °C and nights fall to about 5.2 °C, a spread of 6.6 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes January the 12th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Athens in January?
January averages 55 mm of rain, spread over about 7 of the 31 days — 23 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 54 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in January?
The sea averages 15 °C off Athens in January. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in January?
Athens averages 9.8 hours between sunrise and sunset in January. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.