Fortaleza weather in December

In December, Fortaleza sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 27 mm of rain across 8.5 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Fortaleza's 7th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fortaleza's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
1st warmest
Overnight low
26°
12th coldest
Rainfall
27 mm
8.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:24 AM – 5:37 PM
Cloud cover
45%
7th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Fortaleza is human settlement in Brazil.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Fortaleza reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13026
23026
33026
43026
53026
63026
73026
83026
93026
103026
113026
123026
133026
143026
153026
163026
173026
183026
193026
203026
213026
223026
233026
243026
253026
263026
273026
283026
293026
303026
313026

How December really feels in Fortaleza

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Fortaleza weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 25°9418.212.24.4
Feb29° / 25°13220.112.14.0
Mar29° / 25°19425.4123.6
Apr29° / 25°24825.511.93.5
May29° / 25°12919.611.84.4
Jun29° / 25°7213.711.85.3
Jul29° / 24°367.711.86.2
Aug30° / 24°82.311.96.7
Sep30° / 25°41.2126.8
Oct30° / 25°51.612.16.6
Nov30° / 26°72.312.26.3
Dec30° / 26°278.512.25.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27426
37426
47426
57426
67426
77327
87327
97228
107228
117129
127129
137030
146931
156931
166832
176832
186634
196634
206634
216634
226535
236535
246535
256535
266535
276436
286436
296337
306238
316139

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Fortaleza gets around 27 mm of rain over 8.5 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 28% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
215
316
417
518
619
720
821
922
1023
1124
1225
1326
1427
1527
1628
1729
1830
1931
2031
2132
2233
2333
2434
2535
2636
2737
2838
2939
3040
3142

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 94% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11963
21963
31963
40973
50964
60964
70964
80964
90964
100964
110964
120964
130964
140964
150964
160964
170964
180955
190955
200955
210946
220946
230937
240937
250928
260928
270919
280919
2909010
3009010
3109010

Wind in December

Winds average 20 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
420breezy
520breezy
620breezy
720breezy
820breezy
920breezy
1020breezy
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:18 AM to 5:31 AM, and sunset from 5:30 PM to 5:44 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.25:185:30
212.25:185:30
312.25:195:31
412.25:195:31
512.25:195:32
612.25:205:32
712.25:205:33
812.25:215:33
912.25:215:33
1012.25:215:34
1112.25:225:34
1212.25:225:35
1312.25:235:35
1412.25:235:36
1512.25:235:36
1612.25:245:37
1712.25:245:37
1812.25:255:38
1912.25:255:38
2012.25:265:39
2112.25:265:39
2212.25:275:40
2312.25:275:40
2412.25:285:41
2512.25:285:41
2612.25:295:41
2712.25:295:42
2812.25:305:42
2912.25:305:43
3012.25:305:43
3112.25:315:44

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.74 kWh/m² in September across the year — December's 6.18 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Bright
306.0Bright
316.0Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Fortaleza

In seasonPeak

None of Fortaleza's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Fortaleza's monsoon runs February–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Fortaleza?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.5
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
7.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Fortaleza for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Fortaleza in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Fortaleza sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Fortaleza in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 14 km away) is warmest in April at about 29°C and coldest in August near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Fortaleza in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Fortaleza peaks around March 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 10 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 17UV 15Jun 23UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Fortaleza?

Fortaleza sits at 3.7°S, 38.5°W, 18 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Caucaia, 12 km away.

Topography around Fortaleza

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Fortaleza.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Fortaleza has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 33 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 67 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,081 m.

The land around Fortaleza is covered by artificial surfaces (54%) and water (41%) within 3 km, water (50%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
33 m
16 km
67 m
80 km
1,081 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
December weather nearby: Caucaia 12 km · Maracanaú 20 km · Eusébio 22 km · Maranguape 25 km · Aquiraz 27 km · Itaitinga 28 km · Pacatuba 31 km · Guaiúba 37 km

Brazil travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / N
127 / 220 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$10,713
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
89%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
19.3
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 482
Religion
Roman Catholic 57%Evangelical 27%none 9%other 4%

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 Fortaleza (-3.7172°, -38.5431°, elevation 18 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. 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).