Cayenne weather in December

In December, Cayenne sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 253 mm of rain across 26.5 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of December to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Cayenne's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cayenne's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
7th warmest
Overnight low
25°
4th coldest
Rainfall
253 mm
26.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:34 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
69%
6th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Cayenne is commune and capital city of French Guiana.

Density
2,608/km²
people per km²
Founded
1664

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 28°C through the month.

A typical December day in Cayenne reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12925
22925
32925
42825
52825
62825
72825
82825
92825
102825
112825
122825
132825
142825
152825
162825
172825
182825
192825
202825
212825
222825
232825
242825
252825
262825
272825
282825
292825
302825
312825

How December really feels in Cayenne

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 5 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
5
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Cayenne weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 25°24426.611.74.0
Feb27° / 25°20522.311.84.2
Mar28° / 25°17323.9124.3
Apr28° / 25°2582512.14.0
May28° / 25°41129.112.23.5
Jun28° / 25°34428.512.33.5
Jul29° / 25°18624.812.34.0
Aug30° / 25°6713.912.25.0
Sep30° / 25°237.2125.5
Oct30° / 25°4010.111.95.1
Nov29° / 25°12219.611.84.2
Dec28° / 25°25326.511.73.8

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 65%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24159
34159
44159
54159
64159
74060
83961
93961
103862
113763
123763
133763
143565
153466
163466
173466
183367
193367
203268
213268
223268
233169
243169
253169
263169
273169
283169
293169
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Cayenne gets around 253 mm of rain over 26.5 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 86% and peaks near 89% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
177
278
379
479
580
681
782
882
983
1084
1184
1285
1386
1487
1587
1688
1788
1888
1988
2088
2189
2289
2389
2489
2589
2689
2789
2889
2989
3089
3189

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 85% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
107822
207822
307822
407921
507921
607921
708020
808119
908119
1008218
1118217
1218217
1318316
1418415
1518514
1618514
1718613
1818712
1918712
2018811
2118910
2218910
231909
241909
251918
261918
271927
281927
291936
301936
311936

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of December to 11 h 42 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 6:27 AM to 6:41 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 6:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:276:11
211.76:286:11
311.76:286:12
411.76:286:12
511.76:296:12
611.76:296:13
711.76:306:13
811.76:306:14
911.76:316:14
1011.76:316:14
1111.76:326:15
1211.76:326:15
1311.76:336:16
1411.76:336:16
1511.76:346:17
1611.76:346:17
1711.76:356:17
1811.76:356:18
1911.76:356:18
2011.76:366:19
2111.76:366:19
2211.76:376:20
2311.76:376:20
2411.76:386:21
2511.76:386:21
2611.76:396:22
2711.76:396:22
2811.76:406:23
2911.76:406:23
3011.76:416:24
3111.76:416:24

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.57 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.48 kWh/m² to a high of 6.26 kWh/m² in September across the year — December's 4.57 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Cayenne

In seasonPeak

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

Cayenne's rainy season runs April–July, 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 Cayenne?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Cayenne.

What to pack for Cayenne in December

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

In December, Cayenne sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 27 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Cayenne 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 21 km away) is warmest in July at about 28°C and coldest in January 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
Apr27Warm
May28Warm
Jun28Warm
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Tropical
Sep28Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Cayenne in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cayenne peaks around April 12 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 11 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeApr 12UV 14Dec 11UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Cayenne 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 Cayenne is worst in February — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.0× the cleanest month (August, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateFeb 1627 µg/m³Aug 157 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan26Moderate
Feb28Moderate
Mar26Moderate
Apr26Moderate
May21Moderate
Jun12Moderate
Jul8Good
Aug7Good
Sep8Good
Oct10Good
Nov12Good
Dec21Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Cayenne?

Cayenne sits at 4.9°N, 52.3°W, 7 m above sea level, in French Guiana. The nearest listed city is Rémire-Montjoly, 8.0 km away.

KourouOiapoqueSaint-Laurent-du-Maroni

Topography around Cayenne

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cayenne has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 84 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 250 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 487 m.

The land around Cayenne is covered by water (58%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, water (55%) and trees (30%) within 16 km, and trees (53%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
84 m
16 km
250 m
80 km
487 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Rémire-Montjoly 8.0 km · Matoury 10 km · Kourou 42 km · Oiapoque 134 km · Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni 198 km · Blauwgrond 324 km · Rainville 326 km · Beekhuizen 329 km

French Guiana travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz

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 Cayenne (4.9381°, -52.3346°, elevation 7 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).