Sydney weather in December

In December, Sydney sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 139 mm of precipitation across 14.1 wet days and about 8.5 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 0°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sydney's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sydney's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
4th coldest
Precipitation
139 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
8 h 24 min
7:43 AM – 4:10 PM
Cloud cover
84%
11th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
0.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Sydney is community in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
3,601/km²
people per km²
Founded
1785

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 0°C by the end.

A typical December day in Sydney reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -3°C and 8°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 3°C warmer than January.

-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
150
240
340
440
54-1
64-1
74-1
83-1
93-1
103-1
113-2
123-2
133-2
143-2
152-2
162-2
172-2
182-3
192-3
202-3
212-3
222-3
231-3
241-4
251-4
261-4
271-4
281-4
291-5
300-5
310-5

How December really feels in Sydney

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

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
8 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Sydney weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-1° / -7°11812.9118.80.0
Feb-2° / -9°11111.29.7100.0
Mar / -5°10812.48.311.60.0
Apr / -1°10612.34.913.30.4
May11° / 8611.70.514.72.4
Jun16° / 10°8911015.54.8
Jul21° / 15°8510.5015.26.3
Aug22° / 16°8910.90146.4
Sep18° / 12°10410.5012.35.6
Oct12° / 13112.30.210.73.1
Nov / 12412.72.49.20.9
Dec / -2°13914.19.58.50.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 87%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
31882
41783
51684
61684
71585
81585
91585
101387
111387
121288
131288
141288
151189
161189
171189
181090
191189
201090
211090
221090
231090
241090
251090
261090
271090
281090
291288
301288
311189

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Sydney gets around 139 mm of rain and snow over 14.1 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 45% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 10 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14522
24623
34624
44625
54625
64626
74626
84626
94527
104527
114527
124427
134427
144427
154427
164428
174428
184428
194429
204530
214531
224532
234533
244533
254434
264434
274435
284335
294335
304336
314236

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 22 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 42 min at the start of December to 8 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:30 AM to 7:50 AM, and sunset from 4:11 PM to 4:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.77:304:11
28.77:314:11
38.77:324:11
48.67:334:10
58.67:344:10
68.67:354:10
78.67:364:10
88.57:374:10
98.57:384:10
108.57:394:10
118.57:404:10
128.57:404:10
138.57:414:10
148.57:424:10
158.57:434:10
168.47:434:10
178.47:444:11
188.47:454:11
198.47:454:11
208.47:464:12
218.47:464:12
228.47:474:12
238.47:474:13
248.47:484:13
258.47:484:14
268.47:494:15
278.47:494:15
288.47:494:16
298.57:494:17
308.57:494:17
318.57:504:18

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.96 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.96 kWh/m² to a high of 5.7 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.96 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.1Dim
21.1Dim
31.0Dim
41.0Dim
51.0Dim
61.0Dim
71.0Dim
81.0Dim
91.0Dim
101.0Dim
111.0Dim
121.0Dim
131.0Dim
141.0Dim
151.0Dim
161.0Dim
171.0Dim
181.0Dim
191.0Dim
201.0Dim
211.0Dim
221.0Dim
231.0Dim
241.0Dim
251.0Dim
261.0Dim
271.0Dim
281.0Dim
291.0Dim
301.0Dim
311.0Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Sydney?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sydney.

What to pack for Sydney in December

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

In December, Sydney sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Sydney in December

The nearest coast averages about 4°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 27 km away) is warmest in August at about 19°C and coldest in March near -0°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan1Bracing
Feb0Bracing
Mar0Bracing
Apr1Bracing
May4Bracing
Jun9Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug19Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct12Bracing
Nov8Bracing
Dec4Bracing

UV index in Sydney in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sydney peaks around June 18 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 18UV 9Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7High
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug5High
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Sydney?

Sydney sits at 46.1°N, 60.2°W, 6 m above sea level, in Canada. The nearest listed city is Glace Bay, 19 km away.

Topography around Sydney

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sydney has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 90 m around an average of 31 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 200 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 535 m.

The land around Sydney is covered by trees (34%), grassland (26%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, trees (66%) within 16 km, and water (53%) and trees (43%) within 80 km.

3 km
90 m
16 km
200 m
80 km
535 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Glace Bay 19 km · New Glasgow 201 km · Charlottetown 227 km · Cole Harbour 304 km · Woodlawn 307 km · Dartmouth 311 km · Lower Sackville 312 km · Downtown Halifax 312 km

Canada travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 83% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$55,698
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
97%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
5.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 53%none 35%Muslim 5%Hindu 2%

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 Sydney (46.1351°, -60.1831°, elevation 6 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).