Atar weather in December

In December, Atar sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 5 mm of rain across 0.6 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Atar's 11th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Atar's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
11th warmest
Overnight low
15°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
5 mm
0.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
7:25 AM – 6:11 PM
Cloud cover
38%
11th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

Atar is city in Mauritania.

Density
155/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical December day in Atar reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 4°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12817
22817
32816
42816
52816
62716
72716
82716
92716
102716
112716
122715
132715
142715
152715
162715
172715
182715
192715
202715
212715
222715
232715
242715
252715
262715
272615
282615
292615
302615
312614

How December really feels in Atar

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.

Atar weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 14°30.410.98.8
Feb28° / 16°20.411.37.9
Mar31° / 18°20.411.95.8
Apr35° / 21°10.212.53.7
May38° / 25°10.1131.7
Jun40° / 27°10.613.20.2
Jul40° / 28°31.113.10.0
Aug40° / 28°14412.70.3
Sep39° / 28°153.812.10.9
Oct36° / 24°81.111.52.7
Nov31° / 19°30.6115.8
Dec27° / 15°50.610.88.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56436
66436
76535
86535
96535
106535
116634
126634
136634
146832
156832
166832
176931
186931
196931
206931
217030
227030
237030
247030
257030
267030
277030
287030
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Atar gets around 5 mm of rain over 0.6 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 2% and peaks near 3% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
12
22
32
43
53
63
73
83
93
102
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
192
202
211
221
231
241
251
261
272
282
292
302
312

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19631
29631
39631
49631
59721
69721
79721
89721
99622
109622
119622
129712
139712
149712
159712
169712
179811
189811
199811
209811
219811
229901
239901
249901
2510000
2610000
2710000
2810000
2910000
3010000
3110000

Wind in December

Winds average 17 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
316light breeze
416light breeze
516light breeze
616light breeze
716light breeze
816light breeze
916light breeze
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1617light breeze
1717light breeze
1817light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of December to 10 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 7:17 AM to 7:32 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.87:176:07
210.87:176:07
310.87:186:08
410.87:186:08
510.87:196:08
610.87:206:08
710.87:206:08
810.87:216:09
910.87:226:09
1010.87:226:09
1110.87:236:09
1210.87:236:10
1310.87:246:10
1410.87:246:10
1510.87:256:11
1610.87:256:11
1710.87:266:12
1810.87:276:12
1910.87:276:12
2010.87:286:13
2110.87:286:13
2210.87:296:14
2310.87:296:14
2410.87:296:15
2510.87:306:15
2610.87:306:16
2710.87:316:16
2810.87:316:17
2910.87:316:17
3010.87:326:18
3110.87:326:18

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.71 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.71 kWh/m² to a high of 7.66 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 4.71 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Atar

In seasonPeak

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

Atar sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in July.

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

Is December a good time to visit Atar?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
8.3
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Atar for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Atar in December

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

In December, Atar sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Atar in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Atar peaks around March 17 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighMar 17UV 11Dec 16UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb10Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr10Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul9Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep10Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov7Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Atar 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 Atar is worst in January — around 117 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (April, 60 µg/m³).

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

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyJan 12116 µg/m³Apr 2260 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan117Unhealthy
Feb102Unhealthy
Mar80Unhealthy
Apr60Unhealthy
May62Unhealthy
Jun89Unhealthy
Jul114Unhealthy
Aug94Unhealthy
Sep77Unhealthy
Oct69Unhealthy
Nov64Unhealthy
Dec112Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Atar?

Atar sits at 20.5°N, 13.0°W, 192 m above sea level, in Mauritania. The nearest listed city is Akjoujt, 164 km away.

AkjoujtZouératMagṭa‘ LaḥjarBoutilimittAlegGuerouDar NaimKsar

Topography around Atar

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Atar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m around an average of 229 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 603 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 691 m.

The land around Atar is covered by bare terrain (96%) within 3 km, bare terrain (100%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (100%) within 80 km.

3 km
26 m
16 km
603 m
80 km
691 m
treesshrubsartificial surfacesbare terrain
December weather nearby: Akjoujt 164 km · Zouérat 254 km · Magṭa‘ Laḥjar 335 km · Boutilimitt 373 km · Aleg 396 km · Guerou 397 km · Dar Naim 404 km · Ksar 407 km

Mauritania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,198
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
1
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
25.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 100%

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 Atar (20.5188°, -13.0464°, elevation 192 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).