Thaba-Tseka weather in December

In December, Thaba-Tseka sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 165 mm of rain across 19.5 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of December to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Thaba-Tseka's 11th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Thaba-Tseka's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
10th coldest
Rainfall
165 mm
19.5 wet days
Daylight
13 h 54 min
5:05 AM – 6:58 PM
Cloud cover
53%
11th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
7.47 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Thaba-Tseka is city.

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 20°C through the month.

A typical December day in Thaba-Tseka reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1207
2208
3208
4208
5208
6208
7208
8208
9208
10208
11208
12208
13208
14208
15209
16209
17219
18219
19219
20219
21219
22219
23219
24219
25219
26219
27219
28219
29219
302110
312110

How December really feels in Thaba-Tseka

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.

Thaba-Tseka weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 10°18420.10.113.75.2
Feb21° / 10°14917.1013.15.2
Mar19° / 11815.8012.25.6
Apr17° / 609.40.311.35.6
May14° / 254.80.710.54.9
Jun11° / -3°152.51.510.13.7
Jul11° / -4°142.31.510.33.5
Aug13° / -2°324.71.310.94.5
Sep17° / 3560.611.86.3
Oct18° / 10913.50.212.75.8
Nov19° / 12915.80.313.55.5
Dec20° / 16519.5013.95.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25842
35743
45644
55644
65644
75545
85545
95446
105545
115545
125644
135644
145644
155743
165842
175941
185941
196139
206139
216238
226238
236238
246238
256139
266139
276139
286139
296139
306139
316139

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Thaba-Tseka gets around 165 mm of rain over 19.5 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 63% and peaks near 65% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
260
361
462
563
663
763
864
964
1064
1164
1264
1365
1465
1564
1664
1764
1863
1963
2063
2162
2262
2362
2463
2563
2663
2763
2863
2963
3063
3163

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
30991
31991

Wind in December

Winds average 9 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
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of December to 13 h 54 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 5:03 AM to 5:13 AM, and sunset from 6:48 PM to 7:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:036:48
213.85:036:49
313.85:036:50
413.85:036:50
513.85:036:51
613.85:036:52
713.85:036:52
813.85:036:53
913.85:036:54
1013.85:046:54
1113.95:046:55
1213.95:046:56
1313.95:046:56
1413.95:056:57
1513.95:056:58
1613.95:056:58
1713.95:066:59
1813.95:066:59
1913.95:067:00
2013.95:077:00
2113.95:077:01
2213.95:087:01
2313.95:087:02
2413.95:097:02
2513.95:097:03
2613.95:107:03
2713.95:107:03
2813.95:117:04
2913.95:117:04
3013.95:127:05
3113.95:137:05

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.47 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.73 kWh/m² to a high of 7.47 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.47 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.5Intense
27.5Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.4Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.4Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.5Intense
187.5Intense
197.5Intense
207.5Intense
217.5Intense
227.5Intense
237.5Intense
247.5Intense
257.5Intense
267.5Intense
277.5Intense
287.4Intense
297.4Intense
307.4Intense
317.4Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Thaba-Tseka

In seasonPeak

In December, Thaba-Tseka sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Thaba-Tseka's monsoon runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Thaba-Tseka?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
2.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Thaba-Tseka for sightseeing.

What to pack for Thaba-Tseka in December

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

In December, Thaba-Tseka sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 9°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. About 20 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Thaba-Tseka in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Thaba-Tseka peaks around January 14 at about 16 (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 16Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec15Extreme

Air quality in Thaba-Tseka 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 Thaba-Tseka is worst in July — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 4 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1715 µg/m³Dec 204 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan4Good
Feb6Good
Mar8Good
Apr9Good
May12Good
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov5Good
Dec4Good
Location & terrain

Where is Thaba-Tseka?

Thaba-Tseka sits at 29.5°S, 28.6°E, 2,230 m above sea level, in Lesotho. The nearest listed city is Qacha’s Nek, 66 km away.

Qacha’s NekHlotseButha-ButheTeyateyanengMaputsoeFicksburgFouriesburgMabote

Topography around Thaba-Tseka

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Thaba-Tseka has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 668 m around an average of 2,201 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,331 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,049 m.

The land around Thaba-Tseka is covered by grassland (66%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, grassland (88%) within 16 km, and grassland (91%) within 80 km.

3 km
668 m
16 km
1,331 m
80 km
2,049 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
December weather nearby: Qacha’s Nek 66 km · Hlotse 91 km · Butha-Buthe 91 km · Teyateyaneng 93 km · Maputsoe 99 km · Ficksburg 101 km · Fouriesburg 108 km · Mabote 108 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 Thaba-Tseka (-29.522°, 28.6084°, elevation 2,230 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).