May Pen weather in December

In December, May Pen sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 33 mm of rain across 7.8 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

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 May Pen's 4th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see May Pen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
4th coldest
Rainfall
33 mm
7.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:37 AM – 5:33 PM
Cloud cover
43%
4th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

May Pen is city in Middlesex, Jamaica.

Founded
1660

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 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in May Pen reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12922
22922
32922
42922
52922
62922
72922
82922
92921
102921
112921
122921
132921
142921
152921
162921
172921
182821
192821
202821
212821
222821
232821
242821
252821
262821
272821
282821
292821
302821
312821

How December really feels in May Pen

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.

May Pen weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 21°196.5116.7
Feb28° / 20°226.711.46.5
Mar29° / 21°388.911.96.0
Apr30° / 22°6111.912.45.1
May30° / 23°13218.512.84.1
Jun31° / 23°7514.313.14.1
Jul32° / 24°6213.2133.9
Aug32° / 24°9818.112.63.4
Sep31° / 23°14421.512.13.2
Oct30° / 23°13923.411.63.6
Nov29° / 22°7013.911.24.9
Dec29° / 21°337.810.96.3

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
47525
57723
67723
77723
87723
97723
107723
117624
127624
137624
147624
157723
167723
177723
187822
197822
207822
217822
227921
238020
248020
258020
268020
278119
288119
298119
308119
318119

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

May Pen gets around 33 mm of rain over 7.8 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 25% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
229
328
428
527
627
727
827
927
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1527
1627
1726
1826
1925
2025
2124
2224
2323
2423
2522
2622
2721
2821
2921
3020
3120

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 91% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1155341
2165439
3165637
4165736
5165934
6166033
7166132
8166231
9166231
10166330
11176329
12176329
13176428
14176428
15176527
16186526
17186526
18196525
19196624
20196624
212106523
222106622
232106721
242106820
252116819
261117117
271117216
281117315
291117513
301127512
311127611

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

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 6:29 AM to 6:44 AM, and sunset from 5:29 PM to 5:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:295:29
211.06:295:29
311.06:305:29
411.06:315:29
511.06:315:30
611.06:325:30
711.06:325:30
811.06:335:30
911.06:335:31
1010.96:345:31
1110.96:355:31
1210.96:355:32
1310.96:365:32
1410.96:365:32
1510.96:375:33
1610.96:375:33
1710.96:385:33
1810.96:385:34
1910.96:395:34
2010.96:395:35
2110.96:405:35
2210.96:405:36
2310.96:415:36
2410.96:415:37
2510.96:425:37
2610.96:425:38
2710.96:425:38
2810.96:435:39
2910.96:435:39
3010.96:445:40
3110.96:445:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.35 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.35 kWh/m² to a high of 6.66 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 4.35 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for May Pen

In seasonPeak

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

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

May Pen'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 May Pen?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
7.6
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit May Pen for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for May Pen in December

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

In December, May Pen sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. About 8 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near May Pen 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 May Pen 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 May Pen peaks around April 21 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 21UV 12Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in May Pen 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 May Pen is worst in June — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 17 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJun 2335 µg/m³Jan 1117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb17Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr18Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun35Poor
Jul34Moderate
Aug29Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is May Pen?

May Pen sits at 18.0°N, 77.2°W, 81 m above sea level, in Jamaica. The nearest listed city is Old Harbour, 15 km away.

Old HarbourMandevilleLinsteadSpanish TownPortmorePort RoyalHalf Way TreeKingston

Topography around May Pen

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around May Pen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 100 m around an average of 74 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 734 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,229 m.

The land around May Pen is covered by trees (54%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 3 km, trees (68%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and water (51%) and trees (40%) within 80 km.

3 km
100 m
16 km
734 m
80 km
2,229 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Old Harbour 15 km · Mandeville 29 km · Linstead 30 km · Spanish Town 31 km · Portmore 38 km · Port Royal 43 km · Half Way Tree 47 km · Kingston 48 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 May Pen (17.9645°, -77.2451°, elevation 81 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).