Cornwall

Cornwall Weather in January

Average temperatures, rainfall, sunshine and the best places to visit in Cornwall, the United Kingdom in January.

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Newquay St Austell Penzance Bude

Planning a getaway to Cornwall, the United Kingdom this January and curious about the weather you should prepare for? Discover all the vital details you need on this page, solving your puzzle:

What to Expect in Cornwall in January

Cornwall, the United Kingdom is a region in the United Kingdom. January in Cornwall generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. During January, winter is in full swing.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 9°C (48°F) in Gunnislake to 11°C (52°F) in Sennen. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 8°C (46°F) in Sennen and 4°C (39°F) in Gunnislake.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of Cornwall, the United Kingdom, check out the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Truro with an average of 83 mm (3.3 in) to high rainfall in Morwenstow with 116 mm (4.6 in).

Average sunshine

Sunshine is quite limited in many locations during January. Newquay receives roughly 68 hours of sunlight. For destinations with more sunshine, our weather planner offers alternatives worldwide.

Explore Cornwall by month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Best Places to Visit in Cornwall in January

Click on a destination dot for more details. Toggle the map to compare temperatures or precipitation across Cornwall.

Conditions Temperatures Precipitation
perfect weather
pleasant
tolerable
unpleasant
poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C (68°F) and 29°C (84°F) and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm (3.5 in) a month).

Popular Destinations in Cornwall

What is the weather like in January for some of the most popular destinations in Cornwall, the United Kingdom?

Temperature range in Cornwall (January)

Precipitation variation in Cornwall (January)

Newquay

In January Newquay generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C (52°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C (43°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
11°C (52°F)
11°C (52°F)
10°C (50°F)
Min temperature
6°C (43°F)
6°C (43°F)
5°C (41°F)
Monthly sun hours
65 hours
68 hours
88 hours
Monthly rainfall
104 mm (4.1 in)
95 mm (3.7 in)
86 mm (3.4 in)
Monthly rainy days
21 days
21 days
16 days
Weather conditions
poor
unpleasant
poor
Climate in Newquay →

St Austell

In January St Austell generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C (50°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C (41°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
11°C (52°F)
10°C (50°F)
10°C (50°F)
Min temperature
6°C (43°F)
5°C (41°F)
5°C (41°F)
Monthly sun hours
65 hours
68 hours
88 hours
Monthly rainfall
102 mm (4 in)
95 mm (3.7 in)
85 mm (3.3 in)
Monthly rainy days
21 days
21 days
16 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in St Austell →

Penzance

In January Penzance generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C (52°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C (45°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
12°C (54°F)
11°C (52°F)
11°C (52°F)
Min temperature
8°C (46°F)
7°C (45°F)
7°C (45°F)
Monthly sun hours
65 hours
68 hours
88 hours
Monthly rainfall
114 mm (4.5 in)
106 mm (4.2 in)
91 mm (3.6 in)
Monthly rainy days
22 days
22 days
18 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
unpleasant
Climate in Penzance →

Bude

In January Bude generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C (50°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C (41°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
11°C (52°F)
10°C (50°F)
10°C (50°F)
Min temperature
6°C (43°F)
5°C (41°F)
5°C (41°F)
Monthly sun hours
55 hours
60 hours
83 hours
Monthly rainfall
128 mm (5 in)
110 mm (4.3 in)
97 mm (3.8 in)
Monthly rainy days
21 days
21 days
16 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in Bude →

Falmouth

In January Falmouth generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C (52°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C (43°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
12°C (54°F)
11°C (52°F)
11°C (52°F)
Min temperature
7°C (45°F)
6°C (43°F)
6°C (43°F)
Monthly sun hours
65 hours
68 hours
88 hours
Monthly rainfall
93 mm (3.7 in)
88 mm (3.5 in)
78 mm (3.1 in)
Monthly rainy days
21 days
22 days
17 days
Weather conditions
unpleasant
unpleasant
unpleasant
Climate in Falmouth →

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at all destinations in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.

In our records: the United Kingdom January extremes

Notable January records observed across cities in the United Kingdom in our climate database (1976 – 2026). Historic readings can vary in quality, so treat these as illustrative.

  • Based on our data, the coldest January night in the United Kingdom dropped to -20°C (-4°F) in Birmingham on January 14, 1982.

Popular cities in January

Day & night temperatures, rainfall and average weather in Cornwall in January.

City Weather Day temp Night temp Rainfall
Newquay 11°C (52°F) 6°C (43°F) 95 mm (3.7 in)
St Austell 10°C (50°F) 5°C (41°F) 95 mm (3.7 in)
Penzance 11°C (52°F) 7°C (45°F) 106 mm (4.2 in)
Bude 10°C (50°F) 5°C (41°F) 110 mm (4.3 in)
Falmouth 11°C (52°F) 6°C (43°F) 88 mm (3.5 in)
Padstow 10°C (50°F) 5°C (41°F) 100 mm (3.9 in)

Cornwall weather in January: frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Cornwall, the United Kingdom in January?

Expect unpleasant weather across Cornwall, the United Kingdom in January. The popular destination of Newquay averages 11°C (52°F) by day and 6°C (43°F) at night during this winter month.

What is the average temperature in Cornwall, the United Kingdom in January?

Daytime temperatures in Newquay peak at roughly 11°C (52°F) in January, dropping to about 6°C (43°F) overnight.

Does Cornwall, the United Kingdom get a lot of rain in January?

Not particularly. Newquay averages just 95 mm (3.7 in) of rain in January, making it a mostly dry month for Cornwall, the United Kingdom.

Is January a Good Time to Visit Cornwall, the United Kingdom?

In our opinion, January may not be the ideal time to visit Cornwall, the United Kingdom due to the typically unpleasant weather in Newquay.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in July and August offering mostly perfect weather in Newquay. On the other hand, the months of February, November and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Cornwall.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United Kingdom? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United Kingdom.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.

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