Tumaco weather in December

In December, Tumaco sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 312 mm of rain across 25.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of December to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Tumaco's 1st-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tumaco's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
9th warmest
Overnight low
24°
6th coldest
Rainfall
312 mm
25.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:14 AM – 6:08 PM
Cloud cover
78%
1st clearest
Wind
13 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical December day in Tumaco reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12624
22624
32624
42624
52624
62624
72624
82624
92624
102624
112624
122624
132624
142624
152624
162624
172724
182724
192724
202724
212724
222724
232724
242724
252724
262724
272724
282724
292724
302724
312724

Tumaco weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 24°46128.711.93.7
Feb27° / 25°32723.911.93.9
Mar27° / 25°29323.9124.2
Apr27° / 25°37925.6123.9
May27° / 25°40428.412.13.6
Jun27° / 25°2882712.13.7
Jul27° / 24°24827.412.13.7
Aug27° / 24°21027.112.13.8
Sep27° / 24°23025.8123.9
Oct27° / 24°27025.5124.0
Nov26° / 24°19921.911.94.4
Dec27° / 24°31225.511.94.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 82%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11387
21585
31585
41585
51684
61684
71684
81684
91684
101684
111684
121783
131783
141783
151783
161783
171783
181783
191882
201882
211981
221981
231981
242179
252179
262179
272278
282278
292278
302278
312278

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Tumaco gets around 312 mm of rain over 25.5 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 82% and peaks near 86% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
176
277
377
478
578
678
779
879
980
1080
1181
1281
1382
1482
1583
1683
1783
1884
1984
2085
2185
2285
2385
2485
2585
2685
2785
2885
2985
3085
3186

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 93% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11945
21945
31945
41945
51945
61945
71945
80955
90955
100955
110955
120955
130955
140955
150955
160946
170946
180946
190946
200946
210937
220937
230937
240928
250928
260928
270928
280919
291909
301909
311909

Wind in December

Winds average 13 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.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of December to 11 h 54 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 6:08 AM to 6:21 AM, and sunset from 6:02 PM to 6:15 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:086:02
211.96:086:02
311.96:096:03
411.96:096:03
511.96:096:04
611.96:106:04
711.96:106:04
811.96:116:05
911.96:116:05
1011.96:126:06
1111.96:126:06
1211.96:136:06
1311.96:136:07
1411.96:136:07
1511.96:146:08
1611.96:146:08
1711.96:156:09
1811.96:156:09
1911.96:166:10
2011.96:166:10
2111.96:176:11
2211.96:176:11
2311.96:186:12
2411.96:186:12
2511.96:196:12
2611.96:196:13
2711.96:206:13
2811.96:206:14
2911.96:206:14
3011.96:216:15
3111.96:216:15

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.93 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.93 kWh/m² to a high of 4.76 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 3.93 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.9Moderate
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
264.0Moderate
274.0Bright
284.0Bright
294.0Bright
304.0Bright
314.0Bright
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Tumaco?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Tumaco for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tumaco in December

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

In December, Tumaco sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

Sea temperature near Tumaco 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 13 km away) is warmest in May at about 28°C and coldest in December 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
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Warm
Jun27Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Tumaco 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 Tumaco peaks around February 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 20 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 19UV 15Jul 20UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Tumaco in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Tumaco is worst in March — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (July, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateMar 1716 µg/m³Jul 188 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May11Good
Jun9Good
Jul8Good
Aug9Good
Sep9Good
Oct10Good
Nov13Moderate
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tumaco?

Tumaco sits at 1.8°N, 78.8°W, 1 m above sea level, in Colombia. The nearest listed city is San Lorenzo de Esmeraldas, 56 km away.

El CharcoEsmeraldasSamaniegoProvidenciaTúquerresTulcánPupiales

Topography around Tumaco

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tumaco has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 25 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 70 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 748 m.

The land around Tumaco is covered by mangroves (44%) and water (30%) within 3 km, water (53%) and trees (27%) within 16 km, and trees (53%) and water (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
25 m
16 km
70 m
80 km
748 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: San Lorenzo de Esmeraldas 56 km · El Charco 108 km · Esmeraldas 133 km · Samaniego 142 km · Providencia 150 km · Túquerres 152 km · Tulcán 162 km · Pupiales 164 km

Colombia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 / 240 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,562
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
74%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
24.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 480
Religion
Roman Catholic 64%Protestant 17%none 14%atheist 1%

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 Tumaco (1.7911°, -78.7927°, 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. 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).