Istanbul in January
In January, Istanbul has 86.3 mm (3.40 in) of rain, a daily high of 9.3 °C (48.7 °F) and a daily low of 3.9 °C (39.0 °F), as 1991-2020 model estimates; figures in brackets are converted. The daily high is a model estimate, adjusted against station records.
Last updated : back, with ERA5-Land model estimates.
Best time to visit Istanbul: January misses our rule: days are 6.7 °C under our 16 °C and nights are 4.1 °C under our 8 °C (model estimates). Expect 10.9 rain days (model estimate) and days that grow by 47 min.
What January is like in Istanbul
- Swimmers plunge into the Golden Horn off the Fener waterfront in early January. They dive to fetch the cross dropped into the water for Theophany. Source: Orthodox Times, checked .
- Hamsi, the little Black Sea anchovy, is the people's fish of an Istanbul winter. Many of the city's northern districts sit on the Black Sea shore. Source: Hürriyet Daily News, checked .
- Boza is the winter drink of Vefa, the old quarter by the Süleymaniye Mosque. It comes topped with cinnamon or yellow chickpeas. Source: Go Türkiye (Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency), checked .
Key figures
Weather in January, 1991-2020 model estimates
- Daily high
- 9.3 °C (48.7 °F)
- Daily low
- 3.9 °C (39.0 °F)
- Rain
- 86.3 mm (3.40 in) in the month
- Sunshine
- no data
Model estimate 1991-2020, not a weather station: ERA5-Land model estimates (Copernicus), computed by City by Month for the grid cell nearest the city. Daily high and Days with rain: model estimate, adjusted against station records. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Checked . How we make and test model estimates
Model estimate for the ERA5-Land grid cell at 41.0° N, 29.0° E, 4 km from the city centre point.
How we define and convert these figures
Notes. Sunshine: Not in our ERA5-Land estimates.
Daylight on 15 January 2026
- Sunrise
- 08:27 local time
- Sunset
- 18:00 local time
- Day length
- 9 h 33 min
Day length 1-31 January: 9 h 17 min to 10 h 04 min, +47 min.
Source: NOAA Solar Calculator equations, checked .
Month by month
Each month: daily high in °C, then rain in mm, 1991-2020 model estimates.
ERA5-Land model estimates 1991-2020, as above, checked .
This month against the year
| Measure | January | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Daily high | 9.3 °C | coldest |
| Daily low | 3.9 °C | 2nd coldest |
| Rain | 86.3 mm | 2nd wettest |
| Sunshine | no data | no data |
| Day length | 9 h 33 min | 2nd shortest |
Equal values share a rank. How we rank months
Istanbul in January, on average: 10.9 rain days (1 mm or more). Model estimate, adjusted against station records.
ERA5-Land model estimates 1991-2020, as above, checked .
Day length: NOAA solar equations, checked .
Public holidays this month
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day |
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Friday | New Year's Day |
Typed from the official lists for 2026 and 2027 and re-checked, .
English names are from the holidays library where the official list gives none. How we check holidays
Source: Official public holiday list (vakithesaplama.diyanet.gov.tr) for 2026 and 2027, checked ; holidays Python library, checked . Library: holidays 0.105.
Same month in 8 model-estimate cities
Istanbul is the coolest of our 8 model-estimate cities in January by mean daily high. How we rank cities
Closest high and low in January: Porto (3.7 °C apart), Lisbon (5.6), Delhi (7.8).
| City | Gap from Istanbul, °C | High, °C | Low, °C | Rain, mm | Sunshine, hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (this page) | — | 9.3 | 3.9 | 86.3 | no data |
| Porto (closest) | 3.7 | 14.1 | 6.4 | 133.3 | no data |
| Lisbon (closest) | 5.6 | 14.9 | 9.5 | 66.5 | no data |
| Delhi (closest) | 7.8 | 21.0 | 7.8 | no data | no data |
| Melbourne | 14.1 | 26.6 | 14.8 | 52.5 | no data |
| Sydney | 16.9 | 27.1 | 19.9 | 76.1 | no data |
| Mumbai | 18.1 | 30.4 | 19.0 | no data | no data |
| Bangkok | 20.4 | 31.9 | 22.1 | no data | no data |
Sources (1991-2020): ERA5-Land model estimates, checked . Each city's page names its grid cell. All sources in full on Methodology.
Sources
- Attribution: Copernicus Climate Change Service (2025): ERA5 Land hourly time-series data from 1950 to present. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS). DOI: 10.24381/ee82e357. Accessed on the check date shown. Generated using or contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2025. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Checked .
- NOAA Solar Calculator equations, computed locally, NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (method); City by Month (computation). Attribution: Computed with the NOAA Solar Calculator method (no NOAA endorsement implied). Licence: Method, not data. Checked .
- holidays Python library, run locally. Attribution: holidays library, Vacanza team. Licence: MIT. Checked .
Official sources
Cite this page: City by Month. "Istanbul in January: weather, daylight, holidays". https://citybymonth.com/cities/turkey/istanbul/january/. Last updated 8 November 2026.