Banjul weather in December

In December, Banjul sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.2 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of December to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Banjul's 6th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Banjul's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
6th warmest
Overnight low
21°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
2 mm
0.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
7:26 AM – 6:39 PM
Cloud cover
46%
6th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.23 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Banjul is capital of The Gambia.

Density
3,055/km²
people per km²
Founded
1816

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 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Banjul reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13122
23122
33122
43122
53122
63122
73122
83122
93022
103021
113021
123021
133021
143021
153021
163021
173021
183021
193021
203021
213021
223021
233021
243021
253021
263020
273020
283020
293020
303020
312920

How December really feels in Banjul

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.

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

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Banjul weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 20°20.211.36.8
Feb30° / 21°10.111.66.2
Mar31° / 21°00.111.95.9
Apr30° / 22°0012.36.4
May30° / 23°10.212.66.8
Jun30° / 25°122.112.86.2
Jul30° / 26°13014.712.74.5
Aug29° / 26°25423.512.43.5
Sep30° / 26°19020.212.13.7
Oct31° / 26°568.411.74.6
Nov32° / 24°20.511.45.1
Dec30° / 21°20.211.26.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 41%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25842
35743
45644
55644
65644
75644
85644
95743
105743
115743
125743
135743
145743
155842
165842
175842
185941
196040
206040
216040
226139
236139
246139
256139
266139
276139
286139
296040
306040
316139

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Banjul gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.2 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 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
101
111
121
131
141
151
161
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310

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 34% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 16% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11323312310
2152430229
3162529209
4172729198
5192828187
6202927177
7213026166
8233126156
9243125145
10253224145
11273323134
12283322134
13293321133
14303321133
15313320133
16323320132
17343219122
18353219122
19373119122
20383019112
21402918102
22422918102
2344281792
2446281782
2548271682
2650261672
2751261562
2853251552
2956241442
3058241341
3160231331

Wind in December

Winds average 12 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
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of December to 11 h 12 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 7:18 AM to 7:33 AM, and sunset from 6:34 PM to 6:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.37:186:34
211.37:196:34
311.37:196:34
411.27:206:35
511.27:206:35
611.27:216:35
711.27:216:36
811.27:226:36
911.27:226:36
1011.27:236:37
1111.27:246:37
1211.27:246:37
1311.27:256:38
1411.27:256:38
1511.27:266:38
1611.27:266:39
1711.27:276:39
1811.27:276:40
1911.27:286:40
2011.27:286:41
2111.27:296:41
2211.27:296:41
2311.27:306:42
2411.27:306:42
2511.27:306:43
2611.27:316:43
2711.27:316:44
2811.27:326:44
2911.27:326:45
3011.27:336:45
3111.27:336:46

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.23 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.74 kWh/m² to a high of 7.18 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 5.23 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.2Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Banjul

In seasonPeak

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

Banjul sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Banjul's monsoon runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Banjul sees seasonal dust haze (February–August), heaviest in June.

Atlantic hurricane
Monsoon
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Banjul?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Banjul for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Banjul in December

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

In December, Banjul sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Banjul in December

The nearest coast averages about 24°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 20 km away) is warmest in October at about 29°C and coldest in March near 20°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr21Refreshing
May23Refreshing
Jun26Warm
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec24Refreshing

UV index in Banjul in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 Banjul peaks around March 19 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highMar 19UV 13Dec 18UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct10Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in Banjul 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 Banjul is worst in February — around 98 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.2× the cleanest month (August, 24 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyFeb 1397 µg/m³Aug 2024 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan89Unhealthy
Feb98Unhealthy
Mar80Unhealthy
Apr61Unhealthy
May52Poor
Jun60Unhealthy
Jul36Poor
Aug24Moderate
Sep29Moderate
Oct50Poor
Nov64Unhealthy
Dec84Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Banjul?

Banjul sits at 13.5°N, 16.6°W, 5 m above sea level, in Gambia. The nearest listed city is New Jeshwang, 9.0 km away.

Topography around Banjul

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Banjul has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 11 m around an average of 1 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 53 m.

The land around Banjul is covered by water (76%) within 3 km, water (53%) within 16 km, and water (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
11 m
16 km
38 m
80 km
53 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: New Jeshwang 9.0 km · Abuko 10 km · Faji Kunda 10 km · Kanifing 10 km · Talinding 11 km · Ibo Town 11 km · Serekunda 11 km · Bakau 12 km

Gambia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 25% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$919
2025
Happiness
4.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
48%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
29.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 96%Christian 4%other or none 0%

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 Banjul (13.4527°, -16.578°, elevation 5 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).