Lubumbashi weather in December

In December, Lubumbashi sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 226 mm of rain across 27.6 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Lubumbashi's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lubumbashi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
18°
10th coldest
Rainfall
226 mm
27.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:46 AM – 6:27 PM
Cloud cover
84%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.3 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Lubumbashi is second largest city in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Founded
1910

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 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Lubumbashi reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12718
22718
32718
42718
52718
62718
72718
82718
92718
102718
112718
122618
132618
142618
152618
162618
172618
182618
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302618
312618

Lubumbashi weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°25828.412.63.7
Feb26° / 18°21324.412.43.9
Mar26° / 17°17123.212.14.6
Apr27° / 16°367.111.77.0
May27° / 15°20.611.58.4
Jun26° / 12°0011.39.1
Jul25° / 12°0011.49.2
Aug28° / 14°0011.68.1
Sep31° / 17°30.711.96.0
Oct32° / 19°255.212.34.8
Nov29° / 18°13019.412.54.2
Dec26° / 18°22627.612.73.8

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 89%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12179
21981
31981
41882
51882
61684
71585
81585
91387
101189
111189
121090
131090
14991
15991
16892
17892
18892
19892
20892
21892
22892
23892
24892
25892
26892
27892
28892
29892
30793
31793

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Lubumbashi gets around 226 mm of rain over 27.6 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 89% and peaks near 91% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
183
284
385
485
586
687
787
888
989
1089
1190
1290
1390
1490
1590
1690
1790
1890
1990
2090
2190
2290
2390
2490
2590
2691
2791
2891
2991
3091
3191

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the humid band about 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 39% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1256330
2146431
3146332
4146332
5136333
6136234
7136135
8126235
9126136
10026236
11026137
12016237
13016138
14016039
15016039
16015940
17015940
18015841
19015742
20015742
21015643
22015643
23015544
24015544
25015445
26015445
27015445
28015346
29015346
30015346
31015346

Wind in December

Winds average 6 km/h in December, the calmest month.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 42 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 5:41 AM to 5:53 AM, and sunset from 6:19 PM to 6:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:416:19
212.65:416:19
312.65:416:20
412.65:426:20
512.75:426:21
612.75:426:21
712.75:426:22
812.75:436:23
912.75:436:23
1012.75:436:24
1112.75:446:24
1212.75:446:25
1312.75:456:25
1412.75:456:26
1512.75:456:26
1612.75:466:27
1712.75:466:27
1812.75:476:28
1912.75:476:28
2012.75:486:29
2112.75:486:29
2212.75:496:30
2312.75:496:30
2412.75:496:31
2512.75:506:31
2612.75:506:31
2712.75:516:32
2812.75:516:32
2912.75:526:33
3012.75:526:33
3112.75:536:33

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.3 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.94 kWh/m² in September across the year — December's 5.3 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.3Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Lubumbashi

In seasonPeak

In December, Lubumbashi sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Lubumbashi's monsoon runs November–March, 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 Lubumbashi?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Lubumbashi.

What to pack for Lubumbashi in December

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

In December, Lubumbashi sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 28 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Lubumbashi in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lubumbashi peaks around March 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 12UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi is worst in August — around 74 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.5× the cleanest month (April, 14 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateAug 1772 µg/m³Apr 1914 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun32Moderate
Jul55Unhealthy
Aug74Unhealthy
Sep57Unhealthy
Oct37Poor
Nov20Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lubumbashi?

Lubumbashi sits at 11.7°S, 27.5°E, 1,260 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Kipushi, 27 km away.

KansanshiChambishiMokamboMufulira

Topography around Lubumbashi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lubumbashi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 85 m around an average of 1,240 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 239 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 431 m.

The land around Lubumbashi is covered by artificial surfaces (81%) within 3 km, grassland (31%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 16 km, and trees (54%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
85 m
16 km
239 m
80 km
431 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Kipushi 27 km · Chililabombwe 87 km · Chingola 106 km · Likasi 110 km · Kansanshi 124 km · Chambishi 125 km · Mokambo 127 km · Mufulira 129 km

Democratic Republic of the Congo travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 42% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$807
2025
Happiness
3.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
12%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
34.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 400

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 Lubumbashi (-11.6609°, 27.4794°, elevation 1,260 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. 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).