Maputsoe weather in December

In December, Maputsoe sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 155 mm of rain across 17.7 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of December to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Maputsoe's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Maputsoe's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
12°
10th coldest
Rainfall
155 mm
17.7 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:10 AM – 7:00 PM
Cloud cover
49%
12th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
7.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Maputsoe is place.

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 24°C through the month.

A typical December day in Maputsoe reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12411
22411
32411
42411
52411
62411
72412
82412
92412
102412
112412
122412
132412
142412
152412
162412
172412
182412
192412
202512
212512
222512
232513
242513
252513
262513
272513
282513
292513
302513
312513

How December really feels in Maputsoe

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.

Maputsoe weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 2nd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 13°15718.413.65.8
Feb24° / 13°11916136.0
Mar23° / 11°11414.312.26.5
Apr20° / 759.811.36.7
May17° / 364.510.66.9
Jun15° / -1°19310.25.7
Jul15° / -2°122.210.35.8
Aug17° / 304.1116.9
Sep21° / 324.811.87.8
Oct22° / 10611.312.76.9
Nov23° / 10°14213.813.46.5
Dec24° / 12°15517.713.86.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46337
56337
66337
76337
86337
96436
106436
116535
126634
136634
146634
156733
166733
176832
186832
196931
206931
216931
226931
236931
246931
257030
267030
277030
287030
297030
307030
317129

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Maputsoe gets around 155 mm of rain over 17.7 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 56% and peaks near 59% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
153
254
355
456
557
657
758
858
958
1058
1158
1257
1357
1457
1556
1656
1755
1855
1955
2055
2155
2255
2355
2456
2556
2657
2757
2858
2958
3059
3159

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 82% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19370
29370
39280
49280
59190
69190
790100
890100
989110
1089110
1188120
1288120
1387130
1486140
1585150
1684160
1783170
1882180
1981190
2079210
2178220
2276240
2375250
2474260
2572280
2671290
2770300
2869310
2968320
3066331
3165341

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
19calm
29calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of December to 13 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:07 AM to 5:17 AM, and sunset from 6:49 PM to 7:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:076:49
213.75:076:50
313.75:076:51
413.75:076:52
513.85:076:52
613.85:076:53
713.85:076:54
813.85:076:55
913.85:086:55
1013.85:086:56
1113.85:086:57
1213.85:086:57
1313.85:096:58
1413.85:096:58
1513.85:096:59
1613.85:107:00
1713.85:107:00
1813.85:107:01
1913.85:117:01
2013.85:117:02
2113.85:127:02
2213.85:127:03
2313.85:127:03
2413.85:137:04
2513.85:147:04
2613.85:147:04
2713.85:157:05
2813.85:157:05
2913.85:167:06
3013.85:167:06
3113.85:177:06

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.4 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.66 kWh/m² to a high of 7.4 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.4 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.4Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.4Intense
117.4Intense
127.4Intense
137.4Intense
147.4Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.5Intense
227.5Intense
237.5Intense
247.4Intense
257.4Intense
267.4Intense
277.4Intense
287.4Intense
297.4Intense
307.4Intense
317.4Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Maputsoe

In seasonPeak

In December, Maputsoe sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Maputsoe's rainy season runs October–April, 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 Maputsoe?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Maputsoe for sightseeing.

What to pack for Maputsoe in December

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

In December, Maputsoe sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 18 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Maputsoe in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Maputsoe peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 15Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Maputsoe 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 Maputsoe is worst in July — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1420 µg/m³Dec 195 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr12Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep17Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Maputsoe?

Maputsoe sits at 28.9°S, 27.9°E, 1,583 m above sea level, in Lesotho. The nearest listed city is Ficksburg, 3.0 km away.

HlotseHlohlolwaneTeyateyanengButha-ButheFouriesburgMarquardLadybrand

Topography around Maputsoe

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Maputsoe has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 243 m around an average of 1,588 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 406 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,925 m.

The land around Maputsoe is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (48%) and cropland (44%) within 16 km, and grassland (69%) and cropland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
243 m
16 km
406 m
80 km
1,925 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Ficksburg 3.0 km · Hlotse 14 km · Hlohlolwane 32 km · Teyateyaneng 32 km · Butha-Buthe 37 km · Fouriesburg 42 km · Marquard 52 km · Ladybrand 55 km

Lesotho travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type M
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,089
2025
Happiness
4.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
38.2
per 100k, 2008
Road deaths
31.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 48%Roman Catholic 39%other Christian 9%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 Maputsoe (-28.8866°, 27.8991°, elevation 1,583 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).