Essaouira weather in December

In December, Essaouira sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 50 mm of rain across 4.9 wet days and about 10 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 10 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Essaouira's 9th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Essaouira's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
50 mm
4.9 wet days
Daylight
10 hours
7:37 AM – 5:34 PM
Cloud cover
34%
9th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.24 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Essaouira is city in Marrakech-Safi, Morocco.

Density
17,027/km²
people per km²
Founded
1769

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 19°C through the month.

A typical December day in Essaouira reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11913
21913
31913
41913
51913
61913
71913
81913
91913
101913
111913
121913
131913
141913
151913
161913
171913
181913
191913
201913
211913
221913
231813
241813
251813
261813
271812
281812
291812
301812
311812

Essaouira weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 12°394.410.26.9
Feb18° / 12°384.710.87.1
Mar19° / 13°385.211.87.3
Apr20° / 15°213.712.77.8
May22° / 16°111.613.68.5
Jun23° / 18°10.2149.4
Jul25° / 20°0013.89.4
Aug26° / 21°10.113.19.2
Sep25° / 19°50.912.29.1
Oct23° / 18°263.411.28.4
Nov21° / 15°474.810.47.6
Dec19° / 13°504.9107.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 26%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27525
37525
47525
57525
67525
77426
87426
97426
107426
117327
127327
137327
147327
157228
167228
177228
187228
197228
207228
217228
227327
237327
247327
257525
267525
277525
287525
297525
307624
317624

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Essaouira gets around 50 mm of rain over 4.9 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 16% and peaks near 18% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
118
218
317
417
516
616
715
815
915
1015
1115
1215
1315
1415
1516
1616
1717
1817
1917
2017
2117
2217
2317
2416
2516
2615
2715
2814
2913
3013
3112

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 84% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
182171
282171
383161
484151
584151
684151
786140
886140
986140
1085150
1185150
1284151
1384151
1484151
1584151
1683161
1783161
1882162
1982162
2082162
2182162
2282162
2383152
2483152
2584142
2685132
2785132
2886122
2987112
3088102
318992

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
116light breeze
216light 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
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 06 min at the start of December to 10 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:26 AM to 7:43 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.17:265:32
210.17:275:32
310.17:285:32
410.17:285:32
510.07:295:32
610.07:305:32
710.07:315:32
810.07:315:32
910.07:325:32
1010.07:335:32
1110.07:335:33
1210.07:345:33
1310.07:355:33
1410.07:355:33
1510.07:365:34
1610.07:375:34
1710.07:375:34
1810.07:385:35
199.97:385:35
209.97:395:35
219.97:395:36
229.97:405:36
239.97:405:37
249.97:415:37
259.97:415:38
2610.07:415:38
2710.07:425:39
2810.07:425:40
2910.07:425:40
3010.07:435:41
3110.07:435:41

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.24 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.24 kWh/m² to a high of 7.89 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.24 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.4Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.3Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.3Moderate
93.3Moderate
103.3Moderate
113.3Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.2Moderate
143.2Moderate
153.2Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.2Moderate
183.2Moderate
193.2Moderate
203.2Moderate
213.2Moderate
223.2Moderate
233.2Moderate
243.2Moderate
253.2Moderate
263.2Moderate
273.3Moderate
283.3Moderate
293.3Moderate
303.3Moderate
313.3Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Essaouira

In seasonPeak

None of Essaouira's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Essaouira sees seasonal dust haze (July–August), heaviest in July.

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

Is December a good time to visit Essaouira?

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

7.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
2.8
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Essaouira for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Essaouira in December

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

In December, Essaouira sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 13°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 5 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Essaouira in December

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 20°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 4 to Oct 9 — about 2.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr17Cool
May18Cool
Jun19Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep20Refreshing
Oct20Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Essaouira in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Essaouira peaks around July 15 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highExtremeVery highModerateJul 15UV 11Dec 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan4Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar8Very high
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Essaouira 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 Essaouira is worst in February — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (June, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodGoodFeb 1715 µg/m³Jun 128 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb15Moderate
Mar12Moderate
Apr11Good
May9Good
Jun8Good
Jul12Good
Aug14Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct13Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Essaouira?

Essaouira sits at 31.5°N, 9.8°W, 7 m above sea level, in Morocco. The nearest listed city is Sebt Gzoula, 93 km away.

Sebt GzoulaImi-n-TanoutChichaouaSafiAourirAgadirDakhlaEchemmaia Est

Topography around Essaouira

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Essaouira has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 42 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 247 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,689 m.

The land around Essaouira is covered by water (61%) within 3 km, water (55%) and shrubs (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and water (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
42 m
16 km
247 m
80 km
1,689 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Sebt Gzoula 93 km · Imi-n-Tanout 95 km · Chichaoua 96 km · Safi 101 km · Aourir 114 km · Agadir 123 km · Dakhla 124 km · Echemmaia Est 125 km

Morocco travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 42% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,672
2025
Happiness
4.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
80%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
17
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 492
Religion
Muslim 99%other 1%

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 Essaouira (31.5125°, -9.77°, 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. 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).