Rockhampton weather in December
In December, Rockhampton sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 85 mm of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 18 min at the start of December to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Rockhampton's 9th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rockhampton's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 31°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 22°
- 10th coldest
- Rainfall
- 85 mm
- 9.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 24 min
- 5:11 AM – 6:37 PM
- Cloud cover
- 47%
- 9th clearest
- Wind
- 12 km/h
- 4th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.78 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.7
- out of 10
Rockhampton is city in Queensland, Australia.
- Founded
- 1858
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 31°C through the month.
A typical December day in Rockhampton reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 21 |
| 2 | 31 | 21 |
| 3 | 31 | 21 |
| 4 | 31 | 21 |
| 5 | 31 | 21 |
| 6 | 31 | 21 |
| 7 | 31 | 22 |
| 8 | 31 | 22 |
| 9 | 31 | 22 |
| 10 | 31 | 22 |
| 11 | 31 | 22 |
| 12 | 31 | 22 |
| 13 | 31 | 22 |
| 14 | 31 | 22 |
| 15 | 31 | 22 |
| 16 | 31 | 22 |
| 17 | 31 | 22 |
| 18 | 31 | 22 |
| 19 | 31 | 22 |
| 20 | 31 | 22 |
| 21 | 31 | 22 |
| 22 | 31 | 22 |
| 23 | 31 | 22 |
| 24 | 31 | 22 |
| 25 | 31 | 22 |
| 26 | 31 | 22 |
| 27 | 31 | 22 |
| 28 | 31 | 22 |
| 29 | 31 | 22 |
| 30 | 31 | 22 |
| 31 | 31 | 23 |
How December really feels in Rockhampton
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 30 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Rockhampton weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31° / 23° | 99 | 11 | 13.3 | 4.4 |
| Feb | 31° / 23° | 122 | 11.5 | 12.8 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 30° / 21° | 75 | 7.2 | 12.2 | 5.4 |
| Apr | 28° / 18° | 37 | 4.2 | 11.5 | 7.0 |
| May | 26° / 15° | 29 | 3.2 | 10.9 | 8.1 |
| Jun | 23° / 12° | 29 | 3.4 | 10.6 | 8.4 |
| Jul | 23° / 11° | 24 | 2.6 | 10.7 | 8.6 |
| Aug | 24° / 11° | 22 | 2.3 | 11.2 | 8.8 |
| Sep | 27° / 14° | 20 | 2.4 | 11.9 | 8.2 |
| Oct | 29° / 17° | 35 | 4.7 | 12.5 | 6.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 20° | 50 | 6.1 | 13.1 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 31° / 22° | 85 | 9.5 | 13.4 | 4.7 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 48% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 73 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 65 | 65 | 64 | 64 | 63 |
| Cloudier (%) | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | 27 |
| 2 | 72 | 28 |
| 3 | 71 | 29 |
| 4 | 71 | 29 |
| 5 | 70 | 30 |
| 6 | 70 | 30 |
| 7 | 69 | 31 |
| 8 | 67 | 33 |
| 9 | 67 | 33 |
| 10 | 67 | 33 |
| 11 | 66 | 34 |
| 12 | 66 | 34 |
| 13 | 66 | 34 |
| 14 | 66 | 34 |
| 15 | 66 | 34 |
| 16 | 67 | 33 |
| 17 | 67 | 33 |
| 18 | 67 | 33 |
| 19 | 67 | 33 |
| 20 | 67 | 33 |
| 21 | 67 | 33 |
| 22 | 67 | 33 |
| 23 | 66 | 34 |
| 24 | 66 | 34 |
| 25 | 66 | 34 |
| 26 | 66 | 34 |
| 27 | 65 | 35 |
| 28 | 65 | 35 |
| 29 | 64 | 36 |
| 30 | 64 | 36 |
| 31 | 63 | 37 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Rockhampton gets around 85 mm of rain over 9.5 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 31% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 25 |
| 3 | 26 |
| 4 | 27 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 6 | 29 |
| 7 | 30 |
| 8 | 30 |
| 9 | 31 |
| 10 | 31 |
| 11 | 31 |
| 12 | 31 |
| 13 | 31 |
| 14 | 31 |
| 15 | 30 |
| 16 | 30 |
| 17 | 30 |
| 18 | 30 |
| 19 | 30 |
| 20 | 30 |
| 21 | 30 |
| 22 | 31 |
| 23 | 31 |
| 24 | 32 |
| 25 | 33 |
| 26 | 33 |
| 27 | 34 |
| 28 | 35 |
| 29 | 36 |
| 30 | 36 |
| 31 | 37 |
Humidity in December
Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 43% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 69% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Humid (%) | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Muggy (%) | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 |
| Oppressive (%) | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 34 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 6 | 36 | 39 | 16 | 0 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 | 35 | 39 | 17 | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | 34 | 40 | 19 | 0 |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 40 | 20 | 0 |
| 5 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 41 | 21 | 0 |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 41 | 22 | 0 |
| 7 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 42 | 23 | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 42 | 24 | 0 |
| 9 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 42 | 24 | 0 |
| 10 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 42 | 25 | 0 |
| 11 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 42 | 25 | 0 |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 42 | 25 | 0 |
| 13 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 43 | 25 | 0 |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 0 |
| 15 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 0 |
| 16 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 0 |
| 17 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 1 |
| 18 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 43 | 25 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 44 | 25 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 44 | 25 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 44 | 26 | 1 |
| 22 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 44 | 26 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 44 | 27 | 1 |
| 24 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 44 | 28 | 1 |
| 25 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 44 | 29 | 2 |
| 26 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 44 | 30 | 2 |
| 27 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 43 | 31 | 2 |
| 28 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 43 | 32 | 2 |
| 29 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 43 | 33 | 2 |
| 30 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 43 | 34 | 2 |
| 31 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 44 | 34 | 3 |
Wind in December
Winds average 12 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | calm |
| 2 | 12 | calm |
| 3 | 12 | calm |
| 4 | 12 | calm |
| 5 | 12 | calm |
| 6 | 12 | calm |
| 7 | 12 | calm |
| 8 | 12 | calm |
| 9 | 12 | calm |
| 10 | 12 | calm |
| 11 | 12 | calm |
| 12 | 12 | calm |
| 13 | 12 | calm |
| 14 | 12 | calm |
| 15 | 12 | light breeze |
| 16 | 12 | light breeze |
| 17 | 12 | light breeze |
| 18 | 12 | light breeze |
| 19 | 12 | light breeze |
| 20 | 12 | light breeze |
| 21 | 12 | light breeze |
| 22 | 12 | light breeze |
| 23 | 12 | light breeze |
| 24 | 12 | light breeze |
| 25 | 12 | light breeze |
| 26 | 12 | light breeze |
| 27 | 12 | light breeze |
| 28 | 12 | light breeze |
| 29 | 13 | light breeze |
| 30 | 13 | light breeze |
| 31 | 13 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min at the start of December to 13 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:08 AM to 5:19 AM, and sunset from 6:28 PM to 6:44 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:08 | 5:08 | 5:08 | 5:08 | 5:08 | 5:08 | 5:09 | 5:09 | 5:09 | 5:09 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:10 | 5:11 | 5:11 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:18 | 5:19 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:44 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.3 | 5:08 | 6:28 |
| 2 | 13.3 | 5:08 | 6:28 |
| 3 | 13.4 | 5:08 | 6:29 |
| 4 | 13.4 | 5:08 | 6:30 |
| 5 | 13.4 | 5:08 | 6:30 |
| 6 | 13.4 | 5:08 | 6:31 |
| 7 | 13.4 | 5:09 | 6:32 |
| 8 | 13.4 | 5:09 | 6:32 |
| 9 | 13.4 | 5:09 | 6:33 |
| 10 | 13.4 | 5:09 | 6:34 |
| 11 | 13.4 | 5:10 | 6:34 |
| 12 | 13.4 | 5:10 | 6:35 |
| 13 | 13.4 | 5:10 | 6:35 |
| 14 | 13.4 | 5:10 | 6:36 |
| 15 | 13.4 | 5:11 | 6:37 |
| 16 | 13.4 | 5:11 | 6:37 |
| 17 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:38 |
| 18 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:38 |
| 19 | 13.4 | 5:12 | 6:39 |
| 20 | 13.4 | 5:13 | 6:39 |
| 21 | 13.4 | 5:13 | 6:40 |
| 22 | 13.4 | 5:14 | 6:40 |
| 23 | 13.4 | 5:14 | 6:41 |
| 24 | 13.4 | 5:15 | 6:41 |
| 25 | 13.4 | 5:15 | 6:42 |
| 26 | 13.4 | 5:16 | 6:42 |
| 27 | 13.4 | 5:16 | 6:42 |
| 28 | 13.4 | 5:17 | 6:43 |
| 29 | 13.4 | 5:17 | 6:43 |
| 30 | 13.4 | 5:18 | 6:43 |
| 31 | 13.4 | 5:19 | 6:44 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.78 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.61 kWh/m² to a high of 6.78 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 6.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.8 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Rockhampton
In December, Rockhampton sits inside its cyclone and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Rockhampton sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Rockhampton's rainy season runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is December a good time to visit Rockhampton?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a reasonable time to visit Rockhampton for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Rockhampton in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Rockhampton sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Rockhampton in December
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 38 km away) is warmest in February at about 28°C and coldest in July near 20°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 25 | Warm |
| May | 23 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 21 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 20 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 20 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 22 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 24 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 25 | Warm |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Rockhampton in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rockhampton peaks around February 11 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Very high |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 6 | High |
| Aug | 7 | Very high |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Air quality in Rockhampton in December
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Rockhampton is worst in September — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (July, 5 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 11 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Good |
| Feb | 6 | Good |
| Mar | 6 | Good |
| Apr | 5 | Good |
| May | 6 | Good |
| Jun | 6 | Good |
| Jul | 5 | Good |
| Aug | 11 | Good |
| Sep | 20 | Moderate |
| Oct | 10 | Good |
| Nov | 13 | Moderate |
| Dec | 11 | Good |
Where is Rockhampton?
Rockhampton sits at 23.4°S, 150.5°E, 13 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Gladstone, 93 km away.
Topography around Rockhampton
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Rockhampton.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Rockhampton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 62 m around an average of 13 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 602 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 733 m.
The land around Rockhampton is covered by artificial surfaces (42%), trees (28%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, grassland (53%) and trees (38%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and grassland (33%) within 80 km.
Australia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type I
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 90% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $65,130
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.9 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 4.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Rockhampton (-23.3803°, 150.506°, elevation 13 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).