Malaysia

What's the weather like in Malaysia in January?

With its warm, equatorial climate, Malaysia is hot all year round and January is no exception. The east coast monsoon lasts from November until March, so this time of year can be quite rainy in places, but you’ll still see plenty of sunshine. Although Malaysia is relatively cool in January, temperatures still get very high so you’ll need to apply sun cream regularly and seek shade between 11am and 3pm.

Averages

At this time of year, the capital Kuala Lumpur has an average temperature of 27°C in the daytime, with highs of 32°C in the peak of the afternoon. At night the temperature dips to a low of 22°C, which is a welcome relief from the heat of the day. It can be quite cloudy in the capital at this time of year, but there are still around six hours of sunshine each day. Around 240mm of rain is expected during the month, so bring a light waterproof or poncho. Further north in Penang, the weather’s much drier with just 70mm of rain forecast, along with an average temperature of 28°C.