Al Fāw weather in December

In December, Al Fāw sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 37 mm of rain across 4.7 wet days and about 10.1 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% 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 Al Fāw's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Al Fāw's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
10th warmest
Overnight low
14°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
37 mm
4.7 wet days
Daylight
10 h 06 min
6:40 AM – 4:45 PM
Cloud cover
34%
11th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
3.31 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Al Fāw is port town on the Al Faw Peninsula in Iraq.

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 20°C in the first days to 18°C by the end.

A typical December day in Al Fāw reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12116
22115
32115
42015
52015
62015
72015
82015
92014
101914
111914
121914
131914
141914
151914
161914
171913
181813
191813
201813
211813
221813
231813
241813
251813
261813
271813
281813
291813
301813
311813

How December really feels in Al Fāw

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.

Al Fāw 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
Jan17° / 12°394.810.36.4
Feb18° / 13°16310.97.3
Mar22° / 17°203.311.88.2
Apr27° / 22°71.412.78.1
May33° / 27°20.313.54.7
Jun38° / 31°0013.91.6
Jul39° / 33°0013.70.8
Aug39° / 33°0013.10.9
Sep36° / 30°0012.22.6
Oct31° / 26°40.811.35.8
Nov24° / 19°483.510.58.2
Dec19° / 14°374.710.17.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 25%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27525
37525
47426
57426
67426
77426
87426
97426
107525
117624
127624
137624
147624
157822
167822
177822
187822
197822
207723
217723
227723
237723
247723
257525
267525
277426
287327
297327
307228
317129

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Al Fāw gets around 37 mm of rain over 4.7 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 15% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
318
418
518
618
719
818
918
1018
1118
1217
1317
1416
1516
1615
1715
1814
1914
2013
2113
2212
2312
2412
2512
2612
2712
2812
2912
3012
3113

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 70% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16019165
26119155
36219154
46219154
56219154
66319153
76419143
86419143
96419143
106619132
116718132
126718132
136918121
146918121
157018111
167118101
177217101
18731791
19731890
20741880
21741880
22751870
23751870
24771760
25771760
26771760
27771760
28771760
29781750
30781750
31781750

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 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
116light breeze
216light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1217light breeze
1317light breeze
1417light breeze
1517light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light 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 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 6:30 AM to 6:46 AM, and sunset from 4:42 PM to 4:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.26:304:42
210.26:304:42
310.26:314:42
410.26:324:42
510.26:334:42
610.26:334:42
710.16:344:43
810.16:354:43
910.16:354:43
1010.16:364:43
1110.16:374:43
1210.16:374:43
1310.16:384:44
1410.16:394:44
1510.16:394:44
1610.16:404:45
1710.16:404:45
1810.16:414:45
1910.16:424:46
2010.16:424:46
2110.16:434:47
2210.16:434:47
2310.16:434:48
2410.16:444:48
2510.16:444:49
2610.16:454:49
2710.16:454:50
2810.16:454:50
2910.16:464:51
3010.16:464:52
3110.16:464:52

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.31 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.31 kWh/m² to a high of 7.71 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.31 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.4Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.3Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.3Moderate
173.3Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.3Moderate
203.3Moderate
213.3Moderate
223.3Moderate
233.3Moderate
243.3Moderate
253.3Moderate
263.3Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Al Fāw

In seasonPeak

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

Al Fāw sees seasonal dust haze (March–July), heaviest in May.

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

Is December a good time to visit Al Fāw?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
3.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Al Fāw in December

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

In December, Al Fāw sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 14°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 5 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Al Fāw in December

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 15 km away) is warmest in August at about 32°C and coldest in February near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 1 to Dec 9 — about 8.3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr22Refreshing
May26Warm
Jun29Tropical
Jul31Tropical
Aug32Tropical
Sep31Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov24Refreshing
Dec19Cool

UV index in Al Fāw in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Al Fāw peaks around June 22 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJun 22UV 10Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr5High
May7High
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct6High
Nov5Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Al Fāw 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 Al Fāw is worst in May — around 53 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorMay 1253 µg/m³Nov 1839 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan45Poor
Feb44Poor
Mar48Poor
Apr52Poor
May53Poor
Jun47Poor
Jul49Poor
Aug49Poor
Sep49Poor
Oct46Poor
Nov38Poor
Dec43Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Al Fāw?

Al Fāw sits at 30.0°N, 48.5°E, 2 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Abadan, 44 km away.

Umm QaşrKhorramshahrŞafwānShādegānAbū al-KahṣībBandar-e Emam KhomeyniSalmiya

Topography around Al Fāw

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Al Fāw has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10 m around an average of 1 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 95 m.

The land around Al Fāw is covered by bare terrain (50%) within 3 km, bare terrain (55%) and water (33%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
10 m
16 km
10 m
80 km
95 m
treesshrubscroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Abadan 44 km · Umm Qaşr 54 km · Khorramshahr 59 km · Şafwān 75 km · Shādegān 77 km · Abū al-Kahṣīb 77 km · Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni 79 km · Salmiya 81 km

Iraq travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,410
2025
Happiness
5.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
60%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
9.5
per 100k, 2013
Road deaths
27.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 406
Religion
Christian 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 Al Fāw (29.9742°, 48.4731°, elevation 2 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).