Mtwapa weather in December

In December, Mtwapa sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 46 mm of rain across 13 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Mtwapa's 3rd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mtwapa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
25°
8th coldest
Rainfall
46 mm
13 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:10 AM – 6:24 PM
Cloud cover
44%
3rd clearest
Wind
13 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Mtwapa reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13025
23025
33025
43025
53025
63025
73025
83025
93025
103025
113025
123025
133025
143025
153025
163026
173026
183026
193026
203026
213026
223026
233026
243026
253026
263026
273026
283026
293026
303026
313026

How December really feels in Mtwapa

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.

Mtwapa weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 26°183.512.25.6
Feb31° / 26°112.412.15.5
Mar31° / 26°4912.4124.4
Apr30° / 26°13624.411.93.5
May28° / 25°22324.111.84.3
Jun27° / 24°9220.511.85.0
Jul26° / 23°6919.811.85.2
Aug27° / 23°4917.211.95.7
Sep27° / 23°4314.8126.1
Oct28° / 24°7514.912.15.5
Nov29° / 25°6616.112.24.8
Dec30° / 25°461312.24.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% 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 26%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37426
47426
57327
67426
77426
87426
97426
107426
117426
127327
137327
147327
157327
167327
177327
187327
197327
207426
217426
227426
237426
247525
257525
267624
277624
287624
297525
307525
317525

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Mtwapa gets around 46 mm of rain over 13 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 41% and peaks near 55% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
154
254
355
455
555
654
754
853
952
1051
1150
1249
1348
1446
1545
1643
1741
1840
1938
2036
2134
2232
2331
2429
2527
2626
2724
2822
2921
3020
3118

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 81% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
18218
28218
38218
48218
58218
68218
78119
88119
98020
107921
117921
127822
137822
147822
157822
167822
177822
187921
197921
208020
218020
228119
238218
248218
258317
268317
278416
288416
298515
308515
318614

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 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 6:04 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:046:17
212.26:056:18
312.26:056:18
412.26:056:18
512.26:066:19
612.26:066:19
712.26:076:20
812.26:076:20
912.26:076:21
1012.26:086:21
1112.26:086:22
1212.26:096:22
1312.26:096:23
1412.26:096:23
1512.26:106:23
1612.26:106:24
1712.26:116:24
1812.26:116:25
1912.26:126:25
2012.26:126:26
2112.26:136:26
2212.26:136:27
2312.26:146:27
2412.26:146:28
2512.26:156:28
2612.26:156:29
2712.26:166:29
2812.26:166:30
2912.26:166:30
3012.26:176:30
3112.26:176:31

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.67 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in February across the year — December's 6.13 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mtwapa

In seasonPeak

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

Mtwapa's rainy season runs April–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Mtwapa?

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

4.9
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Mtwapa in December

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

In December, Mtwapa sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Mtwapa 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 April at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Warm
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Mtwapa in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mtwapa peaks around March 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 19UV 15Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Mtwapa 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 Mtwapa is worst in December — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateDec 2421 µg/m³Oct 1313 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan21Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May14Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec21Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Mtwapa?

Mtwapa sits at 3.9°S, 39.7°E, 23 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Mombasa, 16 km away.

Topography around Mtwapa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mtwapa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 42 m around an average of 19 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 314 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 518 m.

The land around Mtwapa is covered by trees (44%) within 3 km, water (44%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and water (35%), shrubs (24%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
42 m
16 km
314 m
80 km
518 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Mombasa 16 km · Jomvu 16 km · Mazeras 22 km · Mariakani 32 km · Matuga 32 km · Kilifi 36 km · Diani Beach 42 km · Ukunda 44 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 Mtwapa (-3.9394°, 39.7488°, elevation 23 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. 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).