Najaf weather in December

In December, Najaf sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 8°C, with 15 mm of rain across 2.8 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 17°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Najaf's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Najaf's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
11th warmest
Overnight low
2nd coldest
Rainfall
15 mm
2.8 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
7:01 AM – 4:56 PM
Cloud cover
35%
12th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
3.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Najaf is city in central-south Iraq.

Founded
~791 CE

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 17°C by the end.

A typical December day in Najaf reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 8°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12110
22110
3209
4209
5209
6209
7209
8209
9199
10199
11198
12198
13198
14198
15198
16188
17188
18188
19187
20187
21187
22187
23187
24187
25187
26187
27187
28187
29177
30177
31177

How December really feels in Najaf

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.

Najaf weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 193.610.16.7
Feb20° / 132.510.87.9
Mar25° / 13°112.211.88.5
Apr32° / 18°102.212.85.3
May38° / 24°30.413.61.4
Jun42° / 28°0014.10.0
Jul45° / 30°0013.90.0
Aug45° / 29°0013.20.0
Sep41° / 26°00.112.20.2
Oct35° / 20°30.811.23.6
Nov25° / 13°162.310.48.3
Dec19° / 152.89.97.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 28%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37426
47327
57327
67327
77327
87327
97327
107327
117327
127426
137426
147426
157327
167327
177327
187228
197327
207327
217228
227228
237129
247129
257129
267030
277030
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Najaf gets around 15 mm of rain over 2.8 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 9% and peaks near 10% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
29
39
49
59
69
79
89
99
109
119
129
139
149
159
169
179
189
199
209
219
229
239
249
259
269
279
2810
2910
3010
3110

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 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19361
29361
39460
49550
59550
69640
79640
89730
99730
109820
119820
129820
139910
149910
159910
169910
179910
189910
1910000
2010000
2110000
2210000
2310000
2410000
2510000
2610000
2710000
2810000
2910000
3010000
319910

Wind in December

Winds average 11 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 9 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:51 AM to 7:08 AM, and sunset from 4:54 PM to 5:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.16:514:54
210.06:514:54
310.06:524:54
410.06:534:54
510.06:544:54
610.06:554:54
710.06:554:54
810.06:564:54
910.06:574:54
1010.06:574:55
119.96:584:55
129.96:594:55
139.96:594:55
149.97:004:56
159.97:014:56
169.97:014:56
179.97:024:57
189.97:024:57
199.97:034:57
209.97:044:58
219.97:044:58
229.97:054:59
239.97:054:59
249.97:055:00
259.97:065:00
269.97:065:01
279.97:075:01
289.97:075:02
299.97:075:02
309.97:085:03
319.97:085:04

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.17 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.17 kWh/m² to a high of 7.88 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.17 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.3Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.2Moderate
83.2Moderate
93.2Moderate
103.2Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.1Moderate
163.1Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.1Moderate
203.1Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.1Moderate
243.1Moderate
253.1Moderate
263.1Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.1Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Najaf

In seasonPeak

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

Najaf sees seasonal dust haze (March–October), heaviest in May.

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

Is December a good time to visit Najaf?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
3.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Najaf in December

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

In December, Najaf sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 8°C. Worth packing: a warm layer.

a warm layer

UV index in Najaf 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 Najaf peaks around June 15 at about 10 (very high) — 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 — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 15UV 10Jan 12UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul7High
Aug9Very high
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Najaf 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 Najaf is worst in May — around 77 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyMay 1376 µg/m³Jul 2260 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan68Unhealthy
Feb68Unhealthy
Mar73Unhealthy
Apr72Unhealthy
May77Unhealthy
Jun64Unhealthy
Jul60Unhealthy
Aug61Unhealthy
Sep65Unhealthy
Oct70Unhealthy
Nov63Unhealthy
Dec70Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Najaf?

Najaf sits at 32.0°N, 44.3°E, 41 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Kufa, 9.0 km away.

Al DiwaniyahNāḩiyat ash Shināfīyah

Topography around Najaf

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Najaf has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 32 m around an average of 42 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 73 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 232 m.

The land around Najaf is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 3 km, bare terrain (35%) and cropland (27%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (58%) and cropland (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
32 m
16 km
73 m
80 km
232 m
treesshrubscroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Kufa 9.0 km · Ash Shāmīyah 25 km · Al Mishkhāb 28 km · Nahiyat Ghammas 41 km · Al-Qāsim 44 km · Al Hillah 49 km · Al Diwaniyah 55 km · Nāḩiyat ash Shināfīyah 57 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 Najaf (32.0259°, 44.3462°, elevation 41 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).