Waterford weather in December

In December, Waterford sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 96 mm of precipitation across 13.7 wet days and about 7.6 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 9°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 7 h 48 min at the start of December to 7 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Waterford's 5th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Waterford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
96 mm
13.7 wet days
Daylight
7 h 30 min
8:40 AM – 4:09 PM
Cloud cover
73%
5th clearest
Wind
24 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
0.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Waterford is city in Ireland.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 10.5 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,445/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

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 9°C through the month.

A typical December day in Waterford reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 12°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and on par with January.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1106
2106
3106
4106
5106
696
796
896
996
1096
1196
1296
1396
1496
1596
1696
1796
1896
1996
2096
2196
2296
2396
2496
2596
2696
2795
2895
2995
3095
3195

Waterford 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
Jan / 9013.981.4
Feb / 6711.59.51.4
Mar / 6511.111.51.8
Apr11° / 6611.413.62.5
May13° / 6110.915.43.5
Jun15° / 12°6710.316.44.5
Jul17° / 13°6611.4165.1
Aug17° / 13°7510.914.55.2
Sep16° / 12°7011.112.44.6
Oct13° / 10°10513.810.33.4
Nov11° / 10614.38.52.3
Dec / 9613.77.61.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% 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 71%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12971
22971
33070
43070
53070
63070
72971
82971
93070
103070
112971
122971
133070
143070
153070
162872
172872
182872
192971
202971
212971
222971
232872
243070
253070
263070
273070
283169
293169
303169
313169

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Waterford gets around 96 mm of rain and snow over 13.7 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 45% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
345
445
545
645
745
845
945
1045
1145
1245
1345
1445
1545
1645
1745
1845
1945
2044
2144
2244
2344
2444
2544
2644
2744
2844
2945
3045
3146

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 24 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 24 km/h on the calmest days to 24 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
124breezy
224breezy
324breezy
424breezy
524breezy
624breezy
724breezy
824breezy
924breezy
1024breezy
1124breezy
1224breezy
1324breezy
1424breezy
1524breezy
1624breezy
1724breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3024breezy
3124breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 7 h 48 min at the start of December to 7 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:24 AM to 8:46 AM, and sunset from 4:13 PM to 4:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
17.88:244:13
27.88:254:12
37.88:264:12
47.78:284:11
57.78:294:11
67.78:304:10
77.68:314:10
87.68:324:10
97.68:334:09
107.68:344:09
117.68:364:09
127.58:364:09
137.58:374:09
147.58:384:09
157.58:394:09
167.58:404:09
177.58:414:09
187.58:414:10
197.58:424:10
207.58:434:10
217.58:434:11
227.58:444:11
237.58:444:12
247.58:454:12
257.58:454:13
267.58:454:13
277.58:454:14
287.58:464:15
297.58:464:16
307.58:464:17
317.58:464:17

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.61 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.61 kWh/m² to a high of 5.34 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.61 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.7Dim
20.7Dim
30.7Dim
40.7Dim
50.7Dim
60.7Dim
70.7Dim
80.6Dim
90.6Dim
100.6Dim
110.6Dim
120.6Dim
130.6Dim
140.6Dim
150.6Dim
160.6Dim
170.6Dim
180.6Dim
190.6Dim
200.6Dim
210.6Dim
220.6Dim
230.6Dim
240.6Dim
250.6Dim
260.6Dim
270.6Dim
280.6Dim
290.6Dim
300.6Dim
310.6Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Waterford?

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

1.6
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Waterford.

What to pack for Waterford in December

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

In December, Waterford sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 6°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Waterford in December

The nearest coast averages about 11°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 16°C and coldest in February near 9°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb9Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr10Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul15Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep15Cool
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Waterford in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Waterford peaks around August 13 at about 6 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 13UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May5High
Jun6High
Jul5High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Waterford?

Waterford sits at 52.3°N, 7.1°W, 10 m above sea level, in Ireland. The nearest listed city is Cluain Meala, 42 km away.

Cluain MealaKilkennyWexfordCarlowPortlaoiseDouglasCarrigalineCork

Topography around Waterford

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Waterford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 93 m around an average of 30 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 298 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 906 m.

The land around Waterford is covered by grassland (41%), artificial surfaces (24%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, grassland (63%) within 16 km, and grassland (52%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
93 m
16 km
298 m
80 km
906 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Cluain Meala 42 km · Kilkenny 45 km · Wexford 45 km · Carlow 66 km · Portlaoise 87 km · Douglas 100 km · Carrigaline 101 km · Cork 101 km

Ireland travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 85% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$131,592
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
96%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Roman Catholic 69%none 15%Protestant 4%Orthodox 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 Waterford (52.2583°, -7.1119°, elevation 10 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).