Nkhata Bay weather in December

In December, Nkhata Bay sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 434 mm of rain across 28.5 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Nkhata Bay's 9th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nkhata Bay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
22°
8th coldest
Rainfall
434 mm
28.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:19 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
70%
9th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Nkhata Bay is city in Malawi.

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 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Nkhata Bay reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72623
82622
92622
102622
112622
122622
132622
142622
152622
162622
172622
182622
192622
202622
212622
222622
232622
242622
252622
262622
272623
282623
292623
302623
312623

Nkhata Bay 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 23°41429.512.63.6
Feb26° / 23°3522612.43.7
Mar25° / 22°45229.912.13.7
Apr25° / 21°32025.511.74.7
May23° / 20°8214.111.56.7
Jun22° / 19°399.511.37.2
Jul21° / 18°308.611.47.4
Aug23° / 19°225.411.68.3
Sep25° / 21°163.511.98.6
Oct27° / 23°769.112.37.3
Nov28° / 23°22716.912.55.6
Dec26° / 22°43428.512.73.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
24951
34753
44654
54654
64456
74357
84258
94159
103862
113862
123664
133565
143466
153268
163169
173169
182971
192971
202971
212971
222773
232674
242674
252575
262575
272476
282278
292278
302080
311981

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Nkhata Bay gets around 434 mm of rain over 28.5 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 91% and peaks near 95% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
182
283
384
485
586
687
788
889
990
1090
1191
1291
1392
1492
1592
1693
1793
1893
1993
2094
2194
2294
2394
2494
2595
2695
2795
2895
2995
3095
3195

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 82% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
16877
25878
35878
44879
54879
638710
738710
828711
928711
1028612
1118613
1218613
1318514
1418514
1518415
1618415
1718316
1818217
1918118
2018019
2118019
2217920
2317821
2417722
2517623
2617524
2717425
2817326
2917227
3007327
3107228

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
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
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 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 42 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 5:14 AM to 5:26 AM, and sunset from 5:52 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:145:52
212.65:145:52
312.65:145:53
412.65:145:53
512.65:155:54
612.75:155:54
712.75:155:55
812.75:165:55
912.75:165:56
1012.75:165:56
1112.75:175:57
1212.75:175:57
1312.75:175:58
1412.75:185:58
1512.75:185:59
1612.75:195:59
1712.75:196:00
1812.75:206:00
1912.75:206:01
2012.75:206:01
2112.75:216:02
2212.75:216:02
2312.75:226:03
2412.75:226:03
2512.75:236:04
2612.75:236:04
2712.75:246:05
2812.75:246:05
2912.75:256:05
3012.75:256:06
3112.75:266:06

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.19 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 5.69 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.0Intense
86.0Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Nkhata Bay

In seasonPeak

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

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

Nkhata Bay's monsoon runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Nkhata Bay?

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

3.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Nkhata Bay.

What to pack for Nkhata Bay in December

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

In December, Nkhata Bay sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 22°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 29 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Nkhata Bay in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Nkhata Bay peaks around February 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 16UV 16Jun 17UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Nkhata Bay 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 Nkhata Bay is worst in September — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1926 µg/m³May 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug20Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay sits at 11.6°S, 34.3°E, 547 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Mzuzu, 33 km away.

RumphiMzimbaTingiMbingaMatiriKigonseraLundazi

Topography around Nkhata Bay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nkhata Bay has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 263 m around an average of 560 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 809 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,549 m.

The land around Nkhata Bay is covered by trees (37%), shrubs (35%) and water (23%) within 3 km, water (47%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
263 m
16 km
809 m
80 km
1,549 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Mzuzu 33 km · Rumphi 81 km · Mzimba 82 km · Tingi 88 km · Mbinga 109 km · Matiri 116 km · Kigonsera 122 km · Lundazi 143 km

Malawi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$672
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.8
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
33.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Protestant 34%other Christian 27%Roman Catholic 17%Muslim 14%

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 Nkhata Bay (-11.6066°, 34.2907°, elevation 547 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). 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).