Sambava weather in December

In December, Sambava sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 179 mm of rain across 23.5 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of December to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Sambava's 9th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sambava's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
4th warmest
Overnight low
25°
9th coldest
Rainfall
179 mm
23.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 48 min
5:10 AM – 6:01 PM
Cloud cover
59%
9th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.17 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.5
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical December day in Sambava reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12724
22724
32724
42724
52724
62724
72825
82825
92825
102825
112825
122825
132825
142825
152825
162825
172825
182825
192825
202825
212825
222825
232825
242825
252825
262825
272825
282825
292825
302825
312825

How December really feels in Sambava

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.

Sambava weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 25°26826.712.73.6
Feb28° / 25°26423.812.53.6
Mar28° / 25°30525.312.13.9
Apr28° / 25°19922.511.74.7
May27° / 24°12020.711.35.3
Jun25° / 22°12721.211.25.3
Jul24° / 21°13722.611.25.2
Aug24° / 21°10922.311.55.3
Sep25° / 21°8820.211.95.6
Oct26° / 23°892012.35.6
Nov27° / 24°8518.512.75.5
Dec28° / 25°17923.512.84.5

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26535
36337
46238
56139
66040
75842
85743
95644
105644
115644
125545
135446
145347
155347
165248
175248
185050
194951
204753
214753
224555
234456
244258
254159
263862
273763
283565
293466
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Sambava gets around 179 mm of rain over 23.5 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 75% and peaks near 85% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
165
266
366
467
567
668
769
870
971
1072
1172
1273
1374
1474
1575
1676
1776
1877
1978
2078
2179
2280
2380
2481
2582
2682
2783
2883
2984
3084
3185

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 84% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
115832
214842
313852
412862
511863
610873
79874
88884
98875
107876
117876
126877
136868
145869
155869
1648610
1748511
1848511
1948412
2038512
2138413
2238314
2338314
2428315
2528216
2628117
2728018
2818019
2917821
3017722
3117623

Wind in December

Winds average 14 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of December to 12 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 5:06 AM to 5:18 AM, and sunset from 5:53 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:065:53
212.85:065:53
312.85:065:54
412.85:065:54
512.85:075:55
612.85:075:55
712.85:075:56
812.85:075:56
912.85:085:57
1012.85:085:57
1112.85:085:58
1212.85:095:59
1312.85:095:59
1412.85:106:00
1512.85:106:00
1612.85:106:01
1712.85:116:01
1812.85:116:02
1912.85:126:02
2012.85:126:03
2112.85:136:03
2212.85:136:04
2312.85:136:04
2412.85:146:05
2512.85:146:05
2612.85:156:05
2712.85:156:06
2812.85:166:06
2912.85:166:07
3012.85:176:07
3112.85:186:07

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.17 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.22 kWh/m² in November across the year — December's 6.17 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.3Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.1Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.0Intense
246.0Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
285.9Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Sambava

In seasonPeak

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

Sambava sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

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

Is December a good time to visit Sambava?

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

4.5
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Sambava for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sambava in December

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

In December, Sambava sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Sambava 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 25 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 24°C.

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

22°24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr28Tropical
May27Warm
Jun26Warm
Jul25Warm
Aug24Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct25Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Sambava 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 Sambava peaks around January 23 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 23UV 15Jun 21UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May10Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Sambava?

Sambava sits at 14.3°S, 50.2°E, 10 m above sea level, in Madagascar. The nearest listed city is Ampahana, 54 km away.

Iharan̈aMaroantsetraBealananaAmbarakarakaAmbilobe

Topography around Sambava

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sambava has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 111 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 337 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,083 m.

The land around Sambava is covered by water (44%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, water (50%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
111 m
16 km
337 m
80 km
2,083 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Ampahana 54 km · Andapa 70 km · Antalaha 71 km · Iharan̈a 104 km · Maroantsetra 138 km · Bealanana 156 km · Ambarakaraka 164 km · Ambilobe 169 km

Madagascar travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$599
2025
Happiness
4.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
22%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
29.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 457
Religion
Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%Roman Catholic 32%none 22%other Christian 8%

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 Sambava (-14.2667°, 50.1667°, elevation 10 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).