Roatan weather in December

In December, Roatan sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 174 mm of rain across 19.8 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-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 50% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of December to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Roatan's 5th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Roatan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
25°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
174 mm
19.8 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:11 AM – 5:13 PM
Cloud cover
45%
5th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

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 Roatan reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°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)
12625
22625
32625
42625
52625
62625
72625
82625
92625
102625
112625
122625
132625
142625
152625
162625
172625
182625
192625
202625
212625
222625
232625
242625
252625
262625
272625
282625
292624
302624
312624

How December really feels in Roatan

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.

Roatan weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 24°16417.311.16.0
Feb26° / 25°6410.511.56.9
Mar26° / 25°549.511.97.4
Apr27° / 26°274.912.47.8
May28° / 27°447.612.86.8
Jun28° / 27°569.9135.8
Jul28° / 27°6113.612.95.8
Aug28° / 27°8215.412.55.2
Sep29° / 27°12117.812.14.6
Oct28° / 26°3092311.64.4
Nov27° / 25°31022.511.24.7
Dec26° / 25°17419.8115.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26634
36733
46733
56832
66931
77030
86931
97030
107030
117030
127030
136931
147030
157030
167030
177030
187030
196931
207030
217030
227030
237129
247129
257129
267129
277129
287129
297129
307129
317129

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Roatan gets around 174 mm of rain over 19.8 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 64% and peaks near 69% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
169
269
368
468
568
668
767
867
967
1066
1166
1266
1366
1465
1565
1665
1765
1864
1964
2063
2163
2262
2361
2460
2560
2659
2759
2859
2958
3058
3158

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 72% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 93% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
10318745
20318754
30318754
40318754
50318754
60318754
71419734
81419733
91419733
101419733
111519723
121519723
131519732
141519732
151519732
161619722
171619722
181619722
191620712
201620721
211720711
221720711
231720711
241720711
251720711
261720711
271720711
281720711
291720711
301720711
311720711

Wind in December

Winds average 18 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920breezy
3020breezy
3120breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min at the start of December to 11 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:03 AM to 6:18 AM, and sunset from 5:09 PM to 5:21 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:035:09
211.16:045:09
311.16:045:09
411.16:055:09
511.16:055:10
611.16:065:10
711.16:065:10
811.16:075:11
911.16:085:11
1011.16:085:11
1111.06:095:11
1211.06:095:12
1311.06:105:12
1411.06:105:13
1511.06:115:13
1611.06:115:13
1711.06:125:14
1811.06:125:14
1911.06:135:15
2011.06:135:15
2111.06:145:15
2211.06:145:16
2311.06:155:16
2411.06:155:17
2511.06:165:17
2611.06:165:18
2711.06:175:18
2811.06:175:19
2911.06:175:19
3011.06:185:20
3111.06:185:21

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.24 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.95 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.24 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Roatan

In seasonPeak

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

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

Roatan's monsoon runs October–January, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Roatan?

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

5.5
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Roatan for sightseeing.

What to pack for Roatan in December

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

In December, Roatan sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 20 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

Sea temperature near Roatan 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 offshore is warmest in September at about 30°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Roatan in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Roatan peaks around March 22 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highMar 22UV 13Dec 16UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Roatan 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 Roatan is worst in July — around 33 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.9× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1232 µg/m³Dec 146 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb7Good
Mar9Good
Apr18Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul33Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Roatan?

Roatan sits at 16.3°N, 86.5°W, 0 m above sea level, in Honduras. The nearest listed city is La Ceiba, 67 km away.

La CeibaSonagueraTocoaOlanchitoSabáArizonaTelaYoro

Topography around Roatan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Roatan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 224 m around an average of 36 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 224 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,182 m.

The land around Roatan is covered by trees (51%) and water (43%) within 3 km, water (91%) within 16 km, and water (85%) within 80 km.

3 km
224 m
16 km
224 m
80 km
2,182 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: La Ceiba 67 km · Sonaguera 79 km · Tocoa 91 km · Olanchito 93 km · Sabá 99 km · Arizona 112 km · Tela 116 km · Yoro 145 km

Honduras travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,598
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
66%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
31.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
16.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 553
Religion
Evangelical 55%Roman Catholic 33%none 10%

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 Roatan (16.3155°, -86.5397°, elevation 0 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).