Harar weather in December

In December, Harar sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 11 mm of rain across 2.2 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of December to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Harar's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Harar's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
7th warmest
Overnight low
13°
1st coldest
Rainfall
11 mm
2.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:24 AM – 5:51 PM
Cloud cover
33%
1st clearest
Wind
6 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.8
out of 10

Harar is city in the east of Ethiopia.

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 24°C through the month.

A typical December day in Harar reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12413
22413
32413
42413
52413
62413
72413
82413
92413
102413
112413
122413
132413
142413
152413
162413
172413
182413
192413
202413
212413
222412
232412
242412
252412
262412
272412
282412
292413
302413
312413

Harar weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 13°112.211.58.6
Feb26° / 14°152.311.78.1
Mar26° / 16°476.911.97.3
Apr25° / 16°10815.912.25.9
May24° / 16°12219.912.45.5
Jun24° / 15°4010.112.56.9
Jul23° / 15°6315.312.56.1
Aug23° / 15°8117.512.35.8
Sep24° / 15°7114.312.16.4
Oct24° / 14°7110.911.87.0
Nov24° / 13°253.911.68.4
Dec24° / 13°112.211.58.8

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in December, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 20%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17921
27921
37921
47921
57921
68020
78119
88119
98218
108218
118218
128218
138218
148416
158416
168317
178317
188317
198317
208218
218119
228020
237921
247921
257822
267822
277723
287723
297723
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Harar gets around 11 mm of rain over 2.2 wet days in December, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 7% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
113
212
312
412
511
611
710
810
99
108
118
127
137
146
156
166
175
185
195
205
215
225
235
245
255
265
275
285
295
305
315

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 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
18911
28911
39010
49010
5919
6919
7928
8928
9937
10937
11946
12946
13955
14955
15964
16964
17964
18973
19973
20973
21973
22973
23973
24973
25973
26973
27973
28973
29973
30973
31964

Wind in December

Winds average 6 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 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
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of December to 11 h 30 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 6:16 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:165:46
211.56:175:46
311.56:175:47
411.56:185:47
511.56:185:47
611.56:195:48
711.56:195:48
811.56:205:48
911.56:205:49
1011.56:215:49
1111.56:215:49
1211.56:225:50
1311.56:225:50
1411.56:235:51
1511.56:235:51
1611.56:245:51
1711.56:245:52
1811.56:255:52
1911.56:255:53
2011.56:265:53
2111.56:265:54
2211.56:275:54
2311.56:275:55
2411.56:285:55
2511.56:285:56
2611.56:295:56
2711.56:295:57
2811.56:305:57
2911.56:305:58
3011.56:305:58
3111.56:315:59

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.94 kWh/m² to a high of 6.34 kWh/m² in February across the year — December's 5.72 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.8Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.8Bright
295.8Bright
305.8Bright
315.8Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Harar

In seasonPeak

None of Harar's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Harar's rainy season runs April–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Harar?

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

8.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.5
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Harar for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Harar in December

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

In December, Harar sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Harar 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 Harar peaks around March 17 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 23 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 17UV 16Nov 23UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Harar 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 Harar is worst in October — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateOct 2219 µg/m³Aug 2014 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Harar?

Harar sits at 9.3°N, 42.1°E, 1,917 m above sea level, in Ethiopia. The nearest listed city is ‘Alemaya, 15 km away.

Topography around Harar

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Harar has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 414 m around an average of 1,948 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,114 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,622 m.

The land around Harar is covered by shrubs (43%), artificial surfaces (29%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, shrubs (51%) and cropland (45%) within 16 km, and shrubs (61%) and cropland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
414 m
16 km
1,114 m
80 km
2,622 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: ‘Alemaya 15 km · Felana 18 km · Funyan Bīra 24 km · Babīlē 25 km · Dire Dawa 42 km · Chinahsen 58 km · Chelenko 62 km · Deder 74 km

Ethiopia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 37% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$933
2025
Happiness
4.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
14%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
8.5
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
28.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 499
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox 44%Muslim 31%Protestant 23%other 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 Harar (9.3139°, 42.1181°, elevation 1,917 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).