Kuantan weather in December

In December, Kuantan sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 345 mm of rain across 25 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 1st-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 2% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of December to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kuantan's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kuantan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
11th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
345 mm
25 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
7:09 AM – 6:56 PM
Cloud cover
88%
11th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Kuantan is state capital of Pahang, Malaysia.

Air quality
Good
PM10 27.2 µg/m³ · 2014
Founded
1851

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 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kuantan reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 5°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 on par with January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12924
22924
32924
42924
52924
62924
72924
82924
92924
102924
112924
122924
132924
142924
152924
162924
172924
182924
192924
202924
212924
222924
232924
242924
252924
262924
272924
282924
292924
302924
312924

How December really feels in Kuantan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 24 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
24
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Kuantan weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°19319.511.84.2
Feb30° / 24°8313.511.94.4
Mar31° / 24°14318.6123.6
Apr32° / 25°1562312.12.8
May32° / 25°19526.112.22.5
Jun32° / 25°16923.412.22.8
Jul31° / 24°16423.212.23.0
Aug31° / 24°19024.912.12.9
Sep31° / 24°21424.3122.8
Oct31° / 24°28827.611.92.7
Nov30° / 24°33128.711.82.8
Dec29° / 24°3452511.83.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 91%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11090
21090
31090
41090
51189
61189
71189
81189
91090
101090
111090
121090
131090
14991
15991
16991
17991
18892
19892
20892
21892
22793
23793
24793
25793
26892
27892
281090
291090
301189
311387

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kuantan gets around 345 mm of rain over 25 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 82% and peaks near 90% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
190
289
388
487
586
685
785
884
984
1084
1183
1283
1383
1483
1583
1682
1782
1881
1981
2080
2180
2279
2379
2478
2577
2677
2776
2876
2975
3075
3174

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 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
105842
205941
306139
406238
506436
606535
706634
806832
906931
1007030
1107228
1207327
1307426
1407525
1507723
1607822
1717821
1817821
1917920
2018019
2118118
2218217
2328117
2428216
2528315
2638215
2738215
2838215
2938314
3038314
3138215

Wind in December

Winds average 11 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 12 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
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of December to 11 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 7:03 AM to 7:16 AM, and sunset from 6:50 PM to 7:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.87:036:50
211.87:036:51
311.87:036:51
411.87:046:51
511.87:046:52
611.87:056:52
711.87:056:52
811.87:066:53
911.87:066:53
1011.87:076:54
1111.87:076:54
1211.87:086:55
1311.87:086:55
1411.87:086:55
1511.87:096:56
1611.87:096:56
1711.87:106:57
1811.87:106:57
1911.87:116:58
2011.87:116:58
2111.87:126:59
2211.87:126:59
2311.87:137:00
2411.87:137:00
2511.87:147:00
2611.87:147:01
2711.87:157:01
2811.87:157:02
2911.87:157:02
3011.87:167:03
3111.87:167:03

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.07 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.07 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.07 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.1Bright
34.1Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.1Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kuantan

In seasonPeak

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

Kuantan sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

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

Is December a good time to visit Kuantan?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kuantan.

What to pack for Kuantan in December

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

In December, Kuantan sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Kuantan 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 offshore is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Kuantan in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kuantan peaks around February 21 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 21UV 14Jun 23UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Kuantan 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 Kuantan is worst in September — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (January, 14 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateSep 1630 µg/m³Jan 1714 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep31Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kuantan?

Kuantan sits at 3.8°N, 103.3°E, 12 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Pekan, 37 km away.

Topography around Kuantan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kuantan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 283 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 375 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,454 m.

The land around Kuantan is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and water (39%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
283 m
16 km
375 m
80 km
1,454 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
December weather nearby: Pekan 37 km · Cukai 50 km · FELDA Chini 64 km · Maran 66 km · Kertih 80 km · Kampung Perak 82 km · Paka 93 km · Jerantut 108 km

Malaysia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 32% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,125
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
95%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
22.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 581
Religion
Muslim 64%Buddhist 19%Christian 9%Hindu 6%

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 Kuantan (3.8077°, 103.326°, elevation 12 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. 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).