Lahad Datu weather in December

In December, Lahad Datu sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 164 mm of rain across 27.3 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 6th-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 4% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of December to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Lahad Datu's 12th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lahad Datu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
10th warmest
Overnight low
24°
4th coldest
Rainfall
164 mm
27.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
6:12 AM – 5:54 PM
Cloud cover
82%
12th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Lahad Datu is city in Sabah, Malaysia.

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 Lahad Datu 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 28°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with 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 Lahad Datu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 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
31
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.

Lahad Datu weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°1602411.73.7
Feb29° / 24°11918.911.84.0
Mar30° / 24°12321123.8
Apr30° / 25°1212212.13.4
May30° / 25°17727.212.22.9
Jun30° / 25°16826.112.33.0
Jul30° / 25°16426.412.33.1
Aug30° / 25°15426.112.23.1
Sep30° / 25°16826123.0
Oct30° / 25°19427.611.92.9
Nov30° / 25°15327.211.83.0
Dec29° / 24°16427.311.73.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 85%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11585
21585
31585
41486
51585
61585
71585
81585
91684
101684
111684
121783
131783
141684
151684
161684
171585
181486
191486
201486
211387
221387
231387
241387
251387
261387
271387
281486
291486
301486
311585

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Lahad Datu gets around 164 mm of rain over 27.3 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 88% and peaks near 90% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
187
287
387
486
586
686
786
887
987
1087
1188
1288
1388
1489
1589
1690
1790
1890
1990
2090
2190
2290
2390
2490
2589
2689
2788
2888
2987
3087
3186

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 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
105743
205842
305842
405842
505842
605842
705941
805941
906040
1006040
1106139
1206238
1306238
1406337
1506436
1606535
1706634
1806733
1906832
2006931
2106931
2207030
2307129
2407129
2517128
2617128
2717227
2817326
2917425
3017524
3117623

Wind in December

Winds average 7 km/h in December.

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
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of December to 11 h 42 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 6:05 AM to 6:18 AM, and sunset from 5:48 PM to 6:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:055:48
211.76:055:49
311.76:055:49
411.76:065:49
511.76:065:50
611.76:075:50
711.76:075:50
811.76:085:51
911.76:085:51
1011.76:095:52
1111.76:095:52
1211.76:105:52
1311.76:105:53
1411.76:115:53
1511.76:115:54
1611.76:125:54
1711.76:125:55
1811.76:125:55
1911.76:135:56
2011.76:135:56
2111.76:145:56
2211.76:145:57
2311.76:155:57
2411.76:155:58
2511.76:165:58
2611.76:165:59
2711.76:175:59
2811.76:176:00
2911.76:186:00
3011.76:186:01
3111.76:186:01

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.18 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.18 kWh/m² to a high of 5.3 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.18 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.2Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.2Bright
214.2Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.1Bright
314.1Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Lahad Datu

In seasonPeak

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

Lahad Datu 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 Lahad Datu?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
4.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Lahad Datu.

What to pack for Lahad Datu in December

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

In December, Lahad Datu sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 27 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Lahad Datu in December

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 17 km away) is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in February 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
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Lahad Datu 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 Lahad Datu peaks around March 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 20UV 14Dec 12UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Lahad Datu 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 Lahad Datu is worst in September — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1515 µg/m³Dec 199 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr11Good
May11Good
Jun11Good
Jul12Good
Aug14Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lahad Datu?

Lahad Datu sits at 5.0°N, 118.3°E, 7 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Semporna, 68 km away.

NunukanSitangkaiBongaoTarakanBandar Nabawan

Topography around Lahad Datu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lahad Datu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 73 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 450 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,262 m.

The land around Lahad Datu is covered by trees (32%) and water (32%) within 3 km, trees (58%) and water (34%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) and water (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
73 m
16 km
450 m
80 km
1,262 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: Semporna 68 km · Sandakan 94 km · Tawau 99 km · Nunukan 124 km · Sitangkai 125 km · Bongao 160 km · Tarakan 207 km · Bandar Nabawan 211 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 Lahad Datu (5.023°, 118.329°, elevation 7 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).