Rio de Janeiro weather in December
In December, Rio de Janeiro sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 151 mm of rain across 16.4 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 29°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.
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 Rio de Janeiro's 11th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rio de Janeiro's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 29°
- 4th warmest
- Overnight low
- 23°
- 9th coldest
- Rainfall
- 151 mm
- 16.4 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 24 min
- 6:07 AM – 7:31 PM
- Cloud cover
- 68%
- 11th clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 6th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.93 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.8
- out of 10
- Air quality
- Moderate
- PM2.5 11.4 µg/m³ · 2015
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Highs climb over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 29°C by the end.
A typical December day in Rio de Janeiro reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than 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) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 22 |
| 2 | 28 | 22 |
| 3 | 28 | 22 |
| 4 | 28 | 23 |
| 5 | 28 | 23 |
| 6 | 28 | 23 |
| 7 | 28 | 23 |
| 8 | 28 | 23 |
| 9 | 28 | 23 |
| 10 | 28 | 23 |
| 11 | 28 | 23 |
| 12 | 28 | 23 |
| 13 | 28 | 23 |
| 14 | 28 | 23 |
| 15 | 29 | 23 |
| 16 | 29 | 23 |
| 17 | 29 | 23 |
| 18 | 29 | 23 |
| 19 | 29 | 23 |
| 20 | 29 | 23 |
| 21 | 29 | 23 |
| 22 | 29 | 24 |
| 23 | 29 | 24 |
| 24 | 29 | 24 |
| 25 | 29 | 24 |
| 26 | 29 | 24 |
| 27 | 29 | 24 |
| 28 | 29 | 24 |
| 29 | 29 | 24 |
| 30 | 29 | 24 |
| 31 | 29 | 24 |
How December really feels in Rio de Janeiro
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 11 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.
Rio de Janeiro weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 24° | 171 | 16.4 | 13.2 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 30° / 24° | 114 | 13.1 | 12.8 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 24° | 145 | 16.6 | 12.2 | 4.7 |
| Apr | 28° / 22° | 88 | 12 | 11.5 | 6.0 |
| May | 26° / 20° | 76 | 11.3 | 10.9 | 6.7 |
| Jun | 25° / 19° | 48 | 7.3 | 10.6 | 7.5 |
| Jul | 25° / 18° | 51 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 25° / 19° | 41 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 7.5 |
| Sep | 26° / 20° | 75 | 10.4 | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 26° / 21° | 92 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 6.2 |
| Nov | 27° / 22° | 139 | 16 | 13.1 | 5.4 |
| Dec | 29° / 23° | 151 | 16.4 | 13.4 | 4.8 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%.
| 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 (%) | 35 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 |
| Cloudier (%) | 65 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 67 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 65 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 | 65 |
| 2 | 35 | 65 |
| 3 | 34 | 66 |
| 4 | 33 | 67 |
| 5 | 32 | 68 |
| 6 | 32 | 68 |
| 7 | 32 | 68 |
| 8 | 32 | 68 |
| 9 | 32 | 68 |
| 10 | 32 | 68 |
| 11 | 33 | 67 |
| 12 | 34 | 66 |
| 13 | 33 | 67 |
| 14 | 34 | 66 |
| 15 | 34 | 66 |
| 16 | 36 | 64 |
| 17 | 36 | 64 |
| 18 | 37 | 63 |
| 19 | 37 | 63 |
| 20 | 38 | 62 |
| 21 | 38 | 62 |
| 22 | 38 | 62 |
| 23 | 39 | 61 |
| 24 | 38 | 62 |
| 25 | 38 | 62 |
| 26 | 38 | 62 |
| 27 | 36 | 64 |
| 28 | 36 | 64 |
| 29 | 36 | 64 |
| 30 | 36 | 64 |
| 31 | 35 | 65 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Rio de Janeiro gets around 151 mm of rain over 16.4 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 53% and peaks near 58% 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 (%) | 52 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 52 |
| 2 | 52 |
| 3 | 52 |
| 4 | 51 |
| 5 | 51 |
| 6 | 51 |
| 7 | 51 |
| 8 | 51 |
| 9 | 51 |
| 10 | 51 |
| 11 | 51 |
| 12 | 51 |
| 13 | 51 |
| 14 | 51 |
| 15 | 52 |
| 16 | 52 |
| 17 | 52 |
| 18 | 53 |
| 19 | 53 |
| 20 | 54 |
| 21 | 54 |
| 22 | 54 |
| 23 | 55 |
| 24 | 56 |
| 25 | 56 |
| 26 | 57 |
| 27 | 57 |
| 28 | 58 |
| 29 | 58 |
| 30 | 58 |
| 31 | 58 |
Humidity in December
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 69% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Muggy (%) | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| Oppressive (%) | 55 | 57 | 58 | 60 | 60 | 62 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 66 | 66 | 68 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 |
| Miserable (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 34 | 55 | 2 |
| 2 | 8 | 33 | 57 | 2 |
| 3 | 8 | 32 | 58 | 2 |
| 4 | 7 | 31 | 60 | 2 |
| 5 | 7 | 30 | 60 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 29 | 62 | 3 |
| 7 | 6 | 29 | 62 | 3 |
| 8 | 5 | 28 | 64 | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | 27 | 64 | 4 |
| 10 | 4 | 26 | 66 | 4 |
| 11 | 4 | 26 | 66 | 4 |
| 12 | 3 | 25 | 68 | 4 |
| 13 | 3 | 24 | 68 | 5 |
| 14 | 2 | 23 | 70 | 5 |
| 15 | 2 | 22 | 71 | 5 |
| 16 | 2 | 21 | 71 | 6 |
| 17 | 2 | 20 | 72 | 6 |
| 18 | 2 | 19 | 73 | 6 |
| 19 | 2 | 18 | 73 | 7 |
| 20 | 2 | 17 | 74 | 7 |
| 21 | 2 | 16 | 75 | 7 |
| 22 | 2 | 15 | 75 | 8 |
| 23 | 2 | 14 | 76 | 8 |
| 24 | 2 | 13 | 76 | 9 |
| 25 | 2 | 12 | 77 | 9 |
| 26 | 2 | 12 | 76 | 10 |
| 27 | 2 | 11 | 76 | 11 |
| 28 | 2 | 11 | 75 | 12 |
| 29 | 2 | 11 | 74 | 13 |
| 30 | 2 | 11 | 73 | 14 |
| 31 | 1 | 12 | 72 | 15 |
Wind in December
Winds average 10 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 11 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) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | calm |
| 2 | 11 | calm |
| 3 | 11 | calm |
| 4 | 11 | calm |
| 5 | 11 | calm |
| 6 | 11 | calm |
| 7 | 11 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 11 | calm |
| 10 | 10 | calm |
| 11 | 10 | calm |
| 12 | 10 | calm |
| 13 | 10 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 9 | calm |
| 24 | 9 | calm |
| 25 | 9 | calm |
| 26 | 9 | calm |
| 27 | 9 | calm |
| 28 | 9 | calm |
| 29 | 9 | calm |
| 30 | 9 | calm |
| 31 | 9 | calm |
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 6:03 AM to 6:14 AM, and sunset from 7:22 PM to 7:38 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 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 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 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:22 | 7:22 | 7:23 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:25 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:28 | 7:29 | 7:29 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 7:31 | 7:31 | 7:32 | 7:32 | 7:33 | 7:33 | 7:34 | 7:34 | 7:35 | 7:35 | 7:36 | 7:36 | 7:36 | 7:37 | 7:37 | 7:38 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.3 | 6:03 | 7:22 |
| 2 | 13.3 | 6:03 | 7:22 |
| 3 | 13.3 | 6:04 | 7:23 |
| 4 | 13.3 | 6:04 | 7:24 |
| 5 | 13.3 | 6:04 | 7:24 |
| 6 | 13.3 | 6:04 | 7:25 |
| 7 | 13.4 | 6:04 | 7:26 |
| 8 | 13.4 | 6:04 | 7:26 |
| 9 | 13.4 | 6:05 | 7:27 |
| 10 | 13.4 | 6:05 | 7:27 |
| 11 | 13.4 | 6:05 | 7:28 |
| 12 | 13.4 | 6:06 | 7:29 |
| 13 | 13.4 | 6:06 | 7:29 |
| 14 | 13.4 | 6:06 | 7:30 |
| 15 | 13.4 | 6:07 | 7:30 |
| 16 | 13.4 | 6:07 | 7:31 |
| 17 | 13.4 | 6:07 | 7:31 |
| 18 | 13.4 | 6:08 | 7:32 |
| 19 | 13.4 | 6:08 | 7:32 |
| 20 | 13.4 | 6:09 | 7:33 |
| 21 | 13.4 | 6:09 | 7:33 |
| 22 | 13.4 | 6:09 | 7:34 |
| 23 | 13.4 | 6:10 | 7:34 |
| 24 | 13.4 | 6:10 | 7:35 |
| 25 | 13.4 | 6:11 | 7:35 |
| 26 | 13.4 | 6:11 | 7:36 |
| 27 | 13.4 | 6:12 | 7:36 |
| 28 | 13.4 | 6:13 | 7:36 |
| 29 | 13.4 | 6:13 | 7:37 |
| 30 | 13.4 | 6:14 | 7:37 |
| 31 | 13.4 | 6:14 | 7:38 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.93 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.35 kWh/m² to a high of 6.1 kWh/m² in February across the year — December's 5.93 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) | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 20 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 21 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 22 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 23 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 24 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 25 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 26 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 27 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 28 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 29 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 30 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 31 | 6.0 | Bright |
Is December a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
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 Rio de Janeiro for sightseeing.
What to pack for Rio de Janeiro in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Rio de Janeiro sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Rio de Janeiro in December
The nearest coast averages about 24°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 25 km away) is warmest in March at about 25°C and coldest in August near 21°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) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Warm |
| Feb | 25 | Warm |
| Mar | 25 | Warm |
| Apr | 25 | Warm |
| May | 24 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 23 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 22 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 21 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 21 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 22 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 24 | Warm |
UV index in Rio de Janeiro in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rio de Janeiro peaks around January 13 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 13 at about 5 (moderate).
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 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Moderate | Very high | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 6 | High |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 5 | Moderate |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Air quality in Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro is worst in June — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Rio de Janeiro's WHO annual average of 11.4 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 8 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 9 | Good |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 17 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 14 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro sits at 22.9°S, 43.2°W, 12 m above sea level, in Brazil. The nearest listed city is Santa Teresa, 1.0 km away.
Topography around Rio de Janeiro
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Rio de Janeiro.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Rio de Janeiro has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 259 m around an average of 18 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 971 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,252 m.
The land around Rio de Janeiro is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and water (42%) within 3 km, water (47%), artificial surfaces (26%) and trees (23%) within 16 km, and trees (37%) and water (35%) within 80 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
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 Rio de Janeiro (-22.9064°, -43.1822°, elevation 12 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. 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).