Sanya weather in December
In December, Sanya sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 26 mm of rain across 3 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sanya's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanya's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 24°
- 10th warmest
- Overnight low
- 19°
- 3rd coldest
- Rainfall
- 26 mm
- 3 wet days
- Daylight
- 10 h 54 min
- 7:11 AM – 6:05 PM
- Cloud cover
- 49%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 18 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 3.79 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 8.2
- out of 10
Sanya is prefecture-level city in Hainan, China.
- Air quality
- Elevated
- PM2.5 15.5 µg/m³ · 2018
- Density
- 537/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.
A typical December day in Sanya reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer 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) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 21 |
| 2 | 25 | 21 |
| 3 | 25 | 21 |
| 4 | 25 | 21 |
| 5 | 25 | 20 |
| 6 | 25 | 20 |
| 7 | 24 | 20 |
| 8 | 24 | 20 |
| 9 | 24 | 20 |
| 10 | 24 | 20 |
| 11 | 24 | 20 |
| 12 | 24 | 20 |
| 13 | 24 | 20 |
| 14 | 24 | 19 |
| 15 | 24 | 19 |
| 16 | 24 | 19 |
| 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 18 | 24 | 19 |
| 19 | 24 | 19 |
| 20 | 23 | 19 |
| 21 | 23 | 19 |
| 22 | 23 | 19 |
| 23 | 23 | 19 |
| 24 | 23 | 19 |
| 25 | 23 | 19 |
| 26 | 23 | 19 |
| 27 | 23 | 19 |
| 28 | 23 | 19 |
| 29 | 23 | 19 |
| 30 | 23 | 19 |
| 31 | 23 | 19 |
How December really feels in Sanya
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Sanya weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 19° | 12 | 2.3 | 11 | 8.2 |
| Feb | 24° / 19° | 10 | 2.5 | 11.4 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 25° / 22° | 18 | 3.8 | 11.9 | 7.9 |
| Apr | 28° / 24° | 53 | 8.6 | 12.4 | 6.6 |
| May | 29° / 26° | 139 | 19 | 12.8 | 4.3 |
| Jun | 30° / 27° | 212 | 22.2 | 13.1 | 3.4 |
| Jul | 29° / 26° | 280 | 23 | 13 | 3.6 |
| Aug | 29° / 26° | 261 | 24.4 | 12.6 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 29° / 26° | 258 | 22.3 | 12.1 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 28° / 24° | 182 | 14 | 11.6 | 5.7 |
| Nov | 26° / 22° | 54 | 5.6 | 11.1 | 7.5 |
| Dec | 24° / 19° | 26 | 3 | 10.9 | 8.2 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%.
| 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 (%) | 72 | 71 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 65 | 65 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 |
| Cloudier (%) | 28 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72 | 28 |
| 2 | 71 | 29 |
| 3 | 70 | 30 |
| 4 | 68 | 32 |
| 5 | 67 | 33 |
| 6 | 66 | 34 |
| 7 | 64 | 36 |
| 8 | 63 | 37 |
| 9 | 62 | 38 |
| 10 | 62 | 38 |
| 11 | 61 | 39 |
| 12 | 61 | 39 |
| 13 | 60 | 40 |
| 14 | 61 | 39 |
| 15 | 61 | 39 |
| 16 | 62 | 38 |
| 17 | 63 | 37 |
| 18 | 63 | 37 |
| 19 | 65 | 35 |
| 20 | 65 | 35 |
| 21 | 67 | 33 |
| 22 | 67 | 33 |
| 23 | 68 | 32 |
| 24 | 68 | 32 |
| 25 | 69 | 31 |
| 26 | 69 | 31 |
| 27 | 70 | 30 |
| 28 | 70 | 30 |
| 29 | 71 | 29 |
| 30 | 71 | 29 |
| 31 | 71 | 29 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Sanya gets around 26 mm of rain over 3 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 10% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days. The odds ease 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 (%) | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 13 |
| 2 | 13 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 12 |
| 6 | 12 |
| 7 | 12 |
| 8 | 12 |
| 9 | 12 |
| 10 | 12 |
| 11 | 13 |
| 12 | 12 |
| 13 | 12 |
| 14 | 12 |
| 15 | 12 |
| 16 | 11 |
| 17 | 11 |
| 18 | 10 |
| 19 | 10 |
| 20 | 9 |
| 21 | 9 |
| 22 | 8 |
| 23 | 8 |
| 24 | 7 |
| 25 | 7 |
| 26 | 7 |
| 27 | 7 |
| 28 | 6 |
| 29 | 6 |
| 30 | 6 |
| 31 | 6 |
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 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 43% 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 (%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Comfortable (%) | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Humid (%) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 |
| Muggy (%) | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 |
| Oppressive (%) | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Miserable (%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 37 | 22 | 1 |
| 2 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 36 | 21 | 0 |
| 3 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 36 | 20 | 0 |
| 4 | 6 | 15 | 24 | 36 | 19 | 0 |
| 5 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 18 | 0 |
| 6 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 17 | 0 |
| 7 | 6 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 15 | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | 17 | 26 | 35 | 14 | 0 |
| 9 | 7 | 18 | 26 | 35 | 14 | 0 |
| 10 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 34 | 13 | 0 |
| 11 | 9 | 19 | 26 | 34 | 12 | 0 |
| 12 | 10 | 19 | 26 | 34 | 11 | 0 |
| 13 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 33 | 11 | 0 |
| 14 | 11 | 20 | 26 | 33 | 10 | 0 |
| 15 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 10 | 0 |
| 16 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 10 | 0 |
| 17 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 32 | 9 | 0 |
| 18 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 9 | 0 |
| 19 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 9 | 0 |
| 20 | 15 | 20 | 27 | 30 | 8 | 0 |
| 21 | 16 | 20 | 27 | 30 | 7 | 0 |
| 22 | 16 | 20 | 28 | 29 | 7 | 0 |
| 23 | 16 | 20 | 29 | 29 | 6 | 0 |
| 24 | 17 | 20 | 29 | 29 | 6 | 0 |
| 25 | 16 | 20 | 30 | 29 | 5 | 0 |
| 26 | 16 | 20 | 31 | 29 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | 16 | 20 | 32 | 29 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | 15 | 19 | 33 | 30 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 30 | 3 | 0 |
| 30 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 31 | 3 | 0 |
| 31 | 13 | 19 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 0 |
Wind in December
Winds average 18 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 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) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Feels | 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 | 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 | 18 | light breeze |
| 2 | 18 | light breeze |
| 3 | 18 | light breeze |
| 4 | 18 | light breeze |
| 5 | 18 | light breeze |
| 6 | 18 | light breeze |
| 7 | 18 | light breeze |
| 8 | 18 | light breeze |
| 9 | 18 | light breeze |
| 10 | 18 | light breeze |
| 11 | 18 | light breeze |
| 12 | 18 | light breeze |
| 13 | 18 | light breeze |
| 14 | 18 | light breeze |
| 15 | 18 | light breeze |
| 16 | 18 | light breeze |
| 17 | 18 | light breeze |
| 18 | 18 | light breeze |
| 19 | 18 | light breeze |
| 20 | 17 | light breeze |
| 21 | 17 | light breeze |
| 22 | 17 | light breeze |
| 23 | 17 | light breeze |
| 24 | 17 | light breeze |
| 25 | 17 | light breeze |
| 26 | 17 | light breeze |
| 27 | 17 | light breeze |
| 28 | 17 | light breeze |
| 29 | 17 | light breeze |
| 30 | 17 | light breeze |
| 31 | 17 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:02 AM to 7:18 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:13 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) | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:10 | 7:10 | 7:11 | 7:11 | 7:12 | 7:12 | 7:13 | 7:13 | 7:14 | 7:14 | 7:15 | 7:15 | 7:16 | 7:16 | 7:16 | 7:17 | 7:17 | 7:18 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.0 | 7:02 | 6:01 |
| 2 | 11.0 | 7:03 | 6:01 |
| 3 | 11.0 | 7:03 | 6:02 |
| 4 | 11.0 | 7:04 | 6:02 |
| 5 | 11.0 | 7:05 | 6:02 |
| 6 | 11.0 | 7:05 | 6:02 |
| 7 | 10.9 | 7:06 | 6:02 |
| 8 | 10.9 | 7:06 | 6:03 |
| 9 | 10.9 | 7:07 | 6:03 |
| 10 | 10.9 | 7:08 | 6:03 |
| 11 | 10.9 | 7:08 | 6:04 |
| 12 | 10.9 | 7:09 | 6:04 |
| 13 | 10.9 | 7:09 | 6:04 |
| 14 | 10.9 | 7:10 | 6:05 |
| 15 | 10.9 | 7:10 | 6:05 |
| 16 | 10.9 | 7:11 | 6:05 |
| 17 | 10.9 | 7:11 | 6:06 |
| 18 | 10.9 | 7:12 | 6:06 |
| 19 | 10.9 | 7:12 | 6:07 |
| 20 | 10.9 | 7:13 | 6:07 |
| 21 | 10.9 | 7:13 | 6:08 |
| 22 | 10.9 | 7:14 | 6:08 |
| 23 | 10.9 | 7:14 | 6:09 |
| 24 | 10.9 | 7:15 | 6:09 |
| 25 | 10.9 | 7:15 | 6:10 |
| 26 | 10.9 | 7:16 | 6:10 |
| 27 | 10.9 | 7:16 | 6:11 |
| 28 | 10.9 | 7:16 | 6:11 |
| 29 | 10.9 | 7:17 | 6:12 |
| 30 | 10.9 | 7:17 | 6:12 |
| 31 | 10.9 | 7:18 | 6:13 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.79 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.79 kWh/m² to a high of 5.82 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 3.79 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 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) | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 2 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 3 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 4 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 5 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 6 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 7 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 8 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 9 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 10 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 11 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 12 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 13 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 14 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 15 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 16 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 17 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 18 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 19 | 3.7 | Moderate |
| 20 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 21 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 22 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 23 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 24 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 25 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 26 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 27 | 3.8 | Moderate |
| 28 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 29 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 30 | 3.9 | Moderate |
| 31 | 3.9 | Moderate |
Hazard calendar for Sanya
In December, Sanya sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Sanya sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Sanya's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is December a good time to visit Sanya?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is one of the better times to visit Sanya for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Sanya in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Sanya sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 3 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Sanya in December
The nearest coast averages about 25°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 19 km away) is warmest in June at about 29°C and coldest in February near 23°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) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 25 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 23 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 24 | Warm |
| Apr | 26 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 28 | Warm |
| Nov | 26 | Warm |
| Dec | 25 | Warm |
UV index in Sanya in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanya peaks around August 11 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (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) | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 13 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Sanya 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 Sanya is worst in December — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (August, 11 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Sanya's WHO annual average of 15.5 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 20 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 23 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 17 | Moderate |
| Apr | 15 | Moderate |
| May | 11 | Good |
| Jun | 12 | Good |
| Jul | 11 | Good |
| Aug | 11 | Good |
| Sep | 11 | Good |
| Oct | 18 | Moderate |
| Nov | 18 | Moderate |
| Dec | 23 | Moderate |
Where is Sanya?
Sanya sits at 18.3°N, 109.5°E, 1 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is An Hải, 278 km away.
Topography around Sanya
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sanya.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sanya has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 203 m around an average of 24 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 610 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,775 m.
The land around Sanya is covered by trees (42%), artificial surfaces (32%) and water (22%) within 3 km, water (45%) and trees (41%) within 16 km, and trees (50%) and water (45%) within 80 km.
China travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / I
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 47% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,862
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.5
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 17.4
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 464
- 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 Sanya (18.2543°, 109.5095°, elevation 1 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).