Kingston weather in December

In December, Kingston sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 41 mm of rain across 9.3 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kingston's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kingston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
9th warmest
Overnight low
23°
4th coldest
Rainfall
41 mm
9.3 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:36 AM – 5:31 PM
Cloud cover
42%
5th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.47 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Kingston is capital of Jamaica.

Air quality
Elevated
PM10 45.5 µg/m³ · 2015
Density
42,623/km²
people per km²
Founded
1692

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 27°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kingston reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72723
82723
92723
102723
112723
122723
132723
142723
152723
162723
172723
182723
192723
202723
212723
222723
232723
242623
252623
262623
272623
282623
292622
302622
312622

How December really feels in Kingston

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.

Kingston weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 22°267.5117.5
Feb26° / 22°21711.47.5
Mar26° / 22°337.911.97.3
Apr27° / 23°36912.46.9
May28° / 24°10214.512.85.8
Jun29° / 25°7211.513.15.4
Jul29° / 25°539.9135.5
Aug29° / 25°8213.812.64.9
Sep29° / 25°1241812.14.4
Oct28° / 24°1442111.64.5
Nov27° / 24°7913.211.26.0
Dec27° / 23°419.310.97.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27426
37525
47624
57624
67624
77624
87624
97624
107723
117723
127723
137624
147624
157723
167723
177723
187822
197822
207822
217921
227921
237921
248020
258119
268119
278218
288218
298119
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kingston gets around 41 mm of rain over 9.3 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 30% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
330
430
529
629
729
829
929
1029
1129
1229
1329
1430
1530
1630
1731
1831
1931
2031
2131
2230
2330
2430
2530
2629
2729
2828
2927
3027
3127

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 61% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1022870
2022969
3022969
4023068
5023068
6023068
7023068
8023068
9023068
10023068
11123067
12133165
13133165
14133264
15133264
16143362
17143362
18143362
19153361
20153460
21153460
22163558
23163657
24163756
25163954
26164053
27164251
28064450
29054648
30054846
31055144

Wind in December

Winds average 12 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 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
1112calm
1212calm
1312calm
1412calm
1512calm
1612calm
1712calm
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 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 6:27 AM to 6:42 AM, and sunset from 5:27 PM to 5:38 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:275:27
211.06:285:27
311.06:285:27
411.06:295:27
511.06:295:28
611.06:305:28
711.06:315:28
811.06:315:28
911.06:325:29
1010.96:325:29
1110.96:335:29
1210.96:335:30
1310.96:345:30
1410.96:345:30
1510.96:355:31
1610.96:365:31
1710.96:365:32
1810.96:375:32
1910.96:375:32
2010.96:385:33
2110.96:385:33
2210.96:395:34
2310.96:395:34
2410.96:395:35
2510.96:405:35
2610.96:405:36
2710.96:415:36
2810.96:415:37
2910.96:425:37
3010.96:425:38
3110.96:425:38

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.47 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.47 kWh/m² to a high of 6.74 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 4.47 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kingston

In seasonPeak

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

Kingston sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

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

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

Is December a good time to visit Kingston?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Kingston for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kingston in December

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

In December, Kingston sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Kingston in December

The nearest coast averages about 28°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 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Kingston in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kingston peaks around April 19 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highApr 19UV 12Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb10Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in Kingston 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 Kingston is worst in June — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2332 µg/m³Dec 198 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar10Good
Apr12Good
May19Moderate
Jun32Moderate
Jul31Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kingston?

Kingston sits at 18.0°N, 76.8°W, 65 m above sea level, in Jamaica. The nearest listed city is New Kingston, 2.0 km away.

Spanish TownLinsteadOld HarbourPort Antonio

Topography around Kingston

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kingston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m around an average of 57 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,522 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,229 m.

The land around Kingston is covered by artificial surfaces (83%) within 3 km, trees (49%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and water (61%) and trees (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
235 m
16 km
1,522 m
80 km
2,229 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: New Kingston 2.0 km · Half Way Tree 2.0 km · Port Royal 8.0 km · Portmore 10 km · Spanish Town 17 km · Linstead 30 km · Old Harbour 34 km · Port Antonio 41 km

Jamaica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
110 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 60% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,003
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
49.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 65%none 21%other 7%Roman Catholic 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 Kingston (17.997°, -76.7936°, elevation 65 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).