Rishikesh weather in December

In December, Rishikesh sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 16 mm of rain across 1.8 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 12 min at the start of December to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Rishikesh's 3rd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rishikesh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
11th warmest
Overnight low
2nd coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
1.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
7:11 AM – 5:15 PM
Cloud cover
22%
3rd clearest
Wind
5 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
3.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Rishikesh is city in Uttarakhand, India.

Air quality
Very high
PM10 137 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
125/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical December day in Rishikesh reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1229
2229
3229
4228
5228
6228
7218
8218
9218
10218
11218
12218
13208
14208
15207
16207
17207
18207
19207
20197
21197
22197
23197
24196
25196
26196
27196
28186
29186
30186
31186

How December really feels in Rishikesh

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.

Rishikesh weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 424.510.37.2
Feb22° / 565.710.97.6
Mar27° / 13°415.511.87.5
Apr32° / 18°275.512.74.4
May35° / 22°348.413.52.8
Jun34° / 24°12214.513.92.9
Jul31° / 25°35628.113.72.8
Aug30° / 24°33727.613.13.0
Sep29° / 22°1551712.24.7
Oct28° / 16°132.611.37.9
Nov24° / 11°40.810.59.2
Dec20° / 161.810.18.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28713
38713
48713
58614
68614
78614
88515
98515
108416
118416
128416
138515
148416
158416
168416
178416
188416
198416
208515
218614
228614
238515
248515
258515
268515
278416
288416
298317
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Rishikesh gets around 16 mm of rain over 1.8 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 6% and peaks near 9% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
34
44
55
65
76
86
96
107
117
127
137
147
157
167
177
187
197
206
216
226
236
246
256
267
277
287
298
308
319

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 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1946
2955
3955
4964
5964
6973
7973
8982
9982
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 5 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 12 min at the start of December to 10 h 06 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 7:01 AM to 7:17 AM, and sunset from 5:13 PM to 5:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.27:015:13
210.27:015:13
310.27:025:13
410.27:035:13
510.27:045:13
610.17:045:13
710.17:055:13
810.17:065:13
910.17:065:13
1010.17:075:13
1110.17:085:14
1210.17:085:14
1310.17:095:14
1410.17:105:14
1510.17:105:15
1610.17:115:15
1710.17:115:15
1810.17:125:16
1910.17:135:16
2010.17:135:17
2110.17:145:17
2210.17:145:18
2310.17:155:18
2410.17:155:19
2510.17:155:19
2610.17:165:20
2710.17:165:20
2810.17:165:21
2910.17:175:21
3010.17:175:22
3110.17:175:23

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.65 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.65 kWh/m² to a high of 7.09 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 3.65 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.6Moderate
153.6Moderate
163.6Moderate
173.6Moderate
183.6Moderate
193.6Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.6Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.6Moderate
313.6Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Rishikesh

In seasonPeak

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

Rishikesh's rainy season runs July–August, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rishikesh sees seasonal dust haze (May–June), heaviest in June.

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

Is December a good time to visit Rishikesh?

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

8.2
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Rishikesh for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Rishikesh in December

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

In December, Rishikesh sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 7°C. Worth packing: a warm layer.

a warm layer

UV index in Rishikesh in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rishikesh peaks around June 16 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highVery highHighModerateJun 16UV 10Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar8Very high
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul8Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep8Very high
Oct7High
Nov4Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Rishikesh 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 Rishikesh is worst in January — around 206 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 2.7× the cleanest month (July, 76 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150180210JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery unhealthyUnhealthyVery unhealthyJan 9206 µg/m³Jul 2277 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan206Very unhealthy
Feb165Very unhealthy
Mar131Unhealthy
Apr114Unhealthy
May101Unhealthy
Jun101Unhealthy
Jul76Unhealthy
Aug81Unhealthy
Sep97Unhealthy
Oct138Unhealthy
Nov179Very unhealthy
Dec205Very unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Rishikesh?

Rishikesh sits at 30.1°N, 78.3°E, 361 m above sea level, in India. The nearest listed city is Shimla, 155 km away.

DelhiDārchulāBhimdattaAmargaḍhi̇̄Dhangaḍhi̇̄DipayalṬikāpur

Topography around Rishikesh

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Rishikesh has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 534 m around an average of 417 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,715 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,049 m.

The land around Rishikesh is covered by trees (63%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, trees (82%) within 16 km, and trees (66%) and cropland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
534 m
16 km
1,715 m
80 km
4,049 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Shimla 155 km · Delhi 192 km · Dārchulā 220 km · Bhimdatta 222 km · Amargaḍhi̇̄ 239 km · Dhangaḍhi̇̄ 272 km · Dipayal 273 km · Ṭikāpur 325 km

India travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / D / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 23% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,702
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
76%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.8
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
15.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 484
Religion
Hindu 80%Muslim 14%Christian 2%other and unspecified 2%

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 Rishikesh (30.1078°, 78.2926°, elevation 361 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).