Tsaratanana weather in December

In December, Tsaratanana sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 294 mm of rain across 21.1 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Tsaratanana's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tsaratanana's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
20°
10th coldest
Rainfall
294 mm
21.1 wet days
Daylight
13 hours
5:16 AM – 6:15 PM
Cloud cover
72%
10th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
6.14 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Tsaratanana reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12919
22919
32919
42919
52919
62919
72919
82919
92919
102919
112919
122920
132920
142920
152920
162920
172920
182920
192820
202820
212820
222820
232820
242820
252820
262820
272820
282820
292820
302820
312820

Tsaratanana weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 20°48226.512.93.8
Feb27° / 20°44524.412.63.8
Mar28° / 20°25119.912.14.6
Apr28° / 19°458.211.66.3
May27° / 17°152.611.28.0
Jun25° / 15°30.9118.8
Jul24° / 14°50.711.19.0
Aug25° / 14°20.511.48.9
Sep27° / 15°4111.98.3
Oct29° / 17°315.112.46.4
Nov30° / 19°12511.912.84.9
Dec29° / 20°29421.1134.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% 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 72%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14159
24060
33961
43862
53862
63664
73664
83466
93466
103367
113169
123169
133070
142872
152773
162674
172674
182575
192575
202377
212377
222377
232377
242377
252278
262080
272080
282080
291882
301882
311882

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Tsaratanana gets around 294 mm of rain over 21.1 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 68% and peaks near 80% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
158
258
359
460
561
661
762
863
963
1064
1165
1265
1366
1467
1568
1668
1769
1870
1970
2071
2171
2272
2373
2474
2574
2675
2776
2877
2978
3079
3180

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 58% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 62% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
121734471
221634481
321534481
421434491
511334502
611234512
711234503
811133523
911133514
1011033524
111932535
121932535
131831546
140831556
150730576
160630586
170629596
180629596
190529606
200528616
210528616
220427645
230427645
240426655
250426655
260325675
270325675
280324685
290323695
300222715
310221725

Wind in December

Winds average 7 km/h in December, the calmest month.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:11 AM to 5:23 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:116:07
212.95:116:08
312.95:126:08
412.95:126:09
513.05:126:09
613.05:126:10
713.05:136:11
813.05:136:11
913.05:136:12
1013.05:136:12
1113.05:146:13
1213.05:146:13
1313.05:156:14
1413.05:156:14
1513.05:156:15
1613.05:166:15
1713.05:166:16
1813.05:166:16
1913.05:176:17
2013.05:176:17
2113.05:186:18
2213.05:186:18
2313.05:196:19
2413.05:196:19
2513.05:206:20
2613.05:206:20
2713.05:216:21
2813.05:216:21
2913.05:226:21
3013.05:226:22
3113.05:236:22

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.14 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.43 kWh/m² to a high of 6.89 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 6.14 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.3Intense
116.3Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.7Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Tsaratanana

In seasonPeak

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

Tsaratanana's monsoon runs December–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 Tsaratanana?

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

4.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Tsaratanana for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tsaratanana in December

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

In December, Tsaratanana sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Tsaratanana 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 Tsaratanana peaks around February 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 10UV 16Jun 19UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec15Extreme

Air quality in Tsaratanana 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 Tsaratanana is worst in November — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.6× the cleanest month (April, 4 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateNov 1418 µg/m³Apr 134 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb5Good
Mar5Good
Apr4Good
May5Good
Jun6Good
Jul8Good
Aug8Good
Sep8Good
Oct13Moderate
Nov19Moderate
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tsaratanana?

Tsaratanana sits at 16.8°S, 47.7°E, 349 m above sea level, in Madagascar. The nearest listed city is Mampikony, 78 km away.

MaevatananaAndilamenaAmbato BoenyAmparafaravolaImerimandrosoMarovoayBoriziny

Topography around Tsaratanana

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tsaratanana has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 100 m around an average of 353 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 914 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,394 m.

The land around Tsaratanana is covered by grassland (69%) and cropland (21%) within 3 km, grassland (85%) within 16 km, and grassland (93%) within 80 km.

3 km
100 m
16 km
914 m
80 km
1,394 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Mampikony 78 km · Maevatanana 89 km · Andilamena 101 km · Ambato Boeny 106 km · Amparafaravola 107 km · Imerimandroso 122 km · Marovoay 132 km · Boriziny 139 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 Tsaratanana (-16.7971°, 47.6516°, elevation 349 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).