Kakuma weather in December

In December, Kakuma sees average daytime highs of 34°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 27 mm of rain across 4.1 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 34°C through the month. 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 11 h 48 min at the start of December to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kakuma's 2nd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kakuma's year-round climate.

Daytime high
34°
7th warmest
Overnight low
22°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
27 mm
4.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:43 AM – 6:30 PM
Cloud cover
40%
2nd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.5
out of 10

Kakuma is human settlement and refugee camp.

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 34°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kakuma reaches about 34°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 36°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and about 1°C cooler than January.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13423
23423
33423
43423
53423
63423
73422
83422
93422
103422
113422
123422
133422
143422
153422
163422
173422
183422
193422
203422
213422
223422
233522
243522
253522
263522
273522
283522
293522
303522
313522

How December really feels in Kakuma

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Kakuma weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan35° / 22°162.611.82.8
Feb37° / 23°71.711.92.1
Mar36° / 24°386.2122.2
Apr34° / 24°649.712.12.8
May34° / 24°528.512.23.2
Jun33° / 24°436.412.23.7
Jul33° / 23°407.212.24.1
Aug33° / 23°346.112.13.9
Sep35° / 24°244123.3
Oct34° / 24°486.611.93.1
Nov33° / 23°577.311.83.5
Dec34° / 22°274.111.83.5

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 20% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27030
37129
47129
57129
67228
77327
87426
97426
107525
117525
127624
137723
147723
157822
167822
177822
187921
197921
207921
217921
227921
237921
247822
257822
267723
277723
287723
297624
307624
317624

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kakuma gets around 27 mm of rain over 4.1 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 13% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
219
319
418
518
618
717
817
916
1016
1116
1215
1315
1414
1514
1613
1712
1812
1912
2011
2111
2211
2310
2410
2510
269
279
289
299
309
318

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 32% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 21% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1132729283
2142729273
3142828263
4152828253
5162927253
6172927243
7182926233
8202925223
9212924223
10233023213
11243022213
12263021203
13273020203
14293019202
15303018192
16323017192
17333016192
18353015181
19373014181
20383013181
21403013171
22412912171
23422912161
24432911161
25442911151
26452911141
27462911141
28472811131
29482811131
30492711131
31502711121

Wind in December

Winds average 10 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 10 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
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 11 h 48 min at the start of December to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:36 AM to 6:50 AM, and sunset from 6:24 PM to 6:37 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:366:24
211.86:376:25
311.86:376:25
411.86:386:25
511.86:386:26
611.86:386:26
711.86:396:27
811.86:396:27
911.86:406:27
1011.86:406:28
1111.86:416:28
1211.86:416:29
1311.86:426:29
1411.86:426:29
1511.86:436:30
1611.86:436:30
1711.86:446:31
1811.86:446:31
1911.86:456:32
2011.86:456:32
2111.86:466:33
2211.86:466:33
2311.86:466:34
2411.86:476:34
2511.86:476:35
2611.86:486:35
2711.86:486:35
2811.86:496:36
2911.86:496:36
3011.86:506:37
3111.86:506:37

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.99 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.7 kWh/m² to a high of 6.86 kWh/m² in September across the year — December's 5.99 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Bright
146.0Bright
156.0Bright
166.0Bright
176.0Bright
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Kakuma?

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

3.5
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kakuma. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kakuma in December

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

In December, Kakuma sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Kakuma in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kakuma peaks around March 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 15Jun 18UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Kakuma 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 Kakuma is worst in January — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (October, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodJan 2016 µg/m³Oct 158 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan17Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar11Good
Apr8Good
May9Good
Jun15Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug11Good
Sep9Good
Oct8Good
Nov10Good
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kakuma?

Kakuma sits at 3.7°N, 34.9°E, 603 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Lodwar, 105 km away.

LodwarKotidoMorotoAbimKapchorwaSoroti

Topography around Kakuma

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kakuma has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 61 m around an average of 601 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,802 m.

The land around Kakuma is covered by grassland (56%) within 3 km, grassland (76%) within 16 km, and grassland (56%) and shrubs (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
61 m
16 km
657 m
80 km
1,802 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: Lodwar 105 km · Kotido 114 km · Moroto 133 km · Abim 173 km · Kitgum 224 km · Kapchorwa 261 km · Soroti 262 km · Pajok 264 km

Kenya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,363
2025
Happiness
4.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
28.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 593
Religion
Christian 86%Muslim 11%other 2%none 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 Kakuma (3.7136°, 34.8572°, elevation 603 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).