Qal‘at Şāliḩ weather in December

In December, Qal‘at Şāliḩ sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 34 mm of rain across 5 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 19°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% 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 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Qal‘at Şāliḩ's 11th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Qal‘at Şāliḩ's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
11th warmest
Overnight low
10°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
34 mm
5 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
6:48 AM – 4:46 PM
Cloud cover
38%
11th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.4
out of 10

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 19°C by the end.

A typical December day in Qal‘at Şāliḩ reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 6°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12212
22212
32212
42212
52111
62111
72111
82111
92111
102111
112011
122011
132010
142010
152010
162010
172010
182010
192010
202010
211910
221910
23199
24199
25199
26199
27199
28199
29199
30199
31199

How December really feels in Qal‘at Şāliḩ

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.

Qal‘at Şāliḩ 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
Jan18° / 375.410.27.1
Feb21° / 11°243.710.88.0
Mar27° / 15°243.611.87.8
Apr33° / 20°183.112.74.2
May40° / 26°51.113.60.6
Jun45° / 30°00.1140.0
Jul47° / 32°0013.80.0
Aug47° / 32°0013.20.0
Sep43° / 28°00.212.20.0
Oct36° / 22°111.211.22.5
Nov26° / 15°353.610.47.6
Dec20° / 10°345107.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% 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 30%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37228
47129
57129
67030
77030
87030
97030
107030
117030
127030
137129
147129
157129
167129
177129
187129
197129
207129
217228
227228
237129
247030
257030
266931
276832
286931
296832
306832
316832

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Qal‘at Şāliḩ gets around 34 mm of rain over 5 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 16% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
118
218
319
419
519
619
719
819
919
1019
1119
1218
1318
1418
1517
1617
1717
1816
1916
2015
2114
2214
2313
2413
2513
2613
2713
2813
2913
3013
3114

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 89% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
182144
283143
383143
484133
584133
684133
785123
885123
985123
1086113
1186113
1286113
1388102
1488102
158992
168992
179181
189181
199271
209271
219361
229460
239460
249550
259550
269550
279550
289550
299550
309550
319550

Wind in December

Winds average 10 km/h in December, the calmest month.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 10 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 6:38 AM to 6:55 AM, and sunset from 4:43 PM to 4:53 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.16:384:43
210.16:394:43
310.16:394:43
410.16:404:43
510.06:414:43
610.06:424:44
710.06:424:44
810.06:434:44
910.06:444:44
1010.06:444:44
1110.06:454:44
1210.06:464:45
1310.06:464:45
1410.06:474:45
1510.06:484:45
1610.06:484:46
1710.06:494:46
189.96:494:46
199.96:504:47
209.96:514:47
219.96:514:48
229.96:514:48
239.96:524:49
249.96:524:49
259.96:534:50
269.96:534:50
2710.06:544:51
2810.06:544:51
2910.06:544:52
3010.06:554:52
3110.06:554:53

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.07 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.07 kWh/m² to a high of 7.84 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.07 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.2Moderate
23.2Moderate
33.2Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.1Moderate
63.1Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.1Moderate
123.1Moderate
133.0Moderate
143.0Moderate
153.0Moderate
163.0Moderate
173.0Moderate
183.0Moderate
193.0Moderate
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 Qal‘at Şāliḩ

In seasonPeak

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

Qal‘at Şāliḩ 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 Qal‘at Şāliḩ?

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

7.4
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Qal‘at Şāliḩ for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Qal‘at Şāliḩ in December

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

In December, Qal‘at Şāliḩ sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 10°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 5 days see rain.

UV index in Qal‘at Şāliḩ in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Qal‘at Şāliḩ peaks around June 19 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 19UV 10Dec 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr6High
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep6High
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Qal‘at Şāliḩ 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 Qal‘at Şāliḩ is worst in April — around 78 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyUnhealthyApr 1178 µg/m³Jul 1055 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan75Unhealthy
Feb70Unhealthy
Mar77Unhealthy
Apr78Unhealthy
May72Unhealthy
Jun55Unhealthy
Jul55Poor
Aug59Unhealthy
Sep64Unhealthy
Oct71Unhealthy
Nov69Unhealthy
Dec74Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Qal‘at Şāliḩ?

Qal‘at Şāliḩ sits at 31.5°N, 47.3°E, 8 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Al ‘Amārah, 37 km away.

Al QurnahAl MadīnahHoveyzehNāḩiyat al FuhūdSūsangerdAsh ShaţrahḤamīdiyeh

Topography around Qal‘at Şāliḩ

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Qal‘at Şāliḩ.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Qal‘at Şāliḩ has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 8 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 231 m.

The land around Qal‘at Şāliḩ is covered by bare terrain (40%) and cropland (37%) within 3 km, cropland (62%) and bare terrain (24%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (40%) and cropland (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
8 m
16 km
18 m
80 km
231 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Al ‘Amārah 37 km · Al Qurnah 59 km · Al Madīnah 63 km · Hoveyzeh 74 km · Nāḩiyat al Fuhūd 82 km · Sūsangerd 85 km · Ash Shaţrah 107 km · Ḥamīdiyeh 108 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 Qal‘at Şāliḩ (31.528°, 47.2936°, elevation 8 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).