Cambridge weather in December

In December, Cambridge sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 106 mm of rain across 12.1 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of December to 14 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Cambridge's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cambridge's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
4th warmest
Overnight low
13°
10th coldest
Rainfall
106 mm
12.1 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
5:56 AM – 8:33 PM
Cloud cover
70%
12th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
6.02 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Cambridge is town in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand.

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical December day in Cambridge reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12012
22012
32012
42012
52012
62012
72012
82012
92112
102112
112112
122112
132112
142113
152113
162113
172113
182113
192113
202113
212113
222113
232113
242113
252113
262113
272113
282213
292213
302213
312213

Cambridge weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 14°768.914.36.9
Feb23° / 14°757.713.57.1
Mar22° / 12°758.212.36.8
Apr19° / 10°959.5116.1
May16° / 10411.1105.0
Jun14° / 11211.59.43.9
Jul13° / 12013.19.63.5
Aug14° / 11713.910.53.6
Sep15° / 11313.811.74.2
Oct17° / 10412.7134.9
Nov19° / 10°9511.1145.7
Dec21° / 13°10612.114.66.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13367
23466
33466
43565
53565
63565
73664
83763
93763
103664
113664
123664
133664
143664
153565
163565
173565
183565
193565
203565
213565
223466
233466
243466
253565
263565
273664
283763
293763
303961
314060

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Cambridge gets around 106 mm of rain over 12.1 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 39% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
240
340
440
540
640
740
840
939
1039
1139
1239
1339
1439
1539
1639
1739
1839
1939
2039
2139
2239
2339
2438
2538
2638
2737
2837
2936
3035
3134

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 50% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
16129100
25930110
35731120
45731120
55531131
65531131
75332141
85332141
95232151
105232151
115232151
125232151
135232151
145132152
155132152
165033152
175033152
185034152
194934152
204834162
214835162
224735162
234635172
244636172
254536172
264536182
274436182
284437182
294337182
304337182
314337182

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of December to 14 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:55 AM to 6:04 AM, and sunset from 8:21 PM to 8:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.45:558:21
214.55:558:22
314.55:558:23
414.55:558:24
514.55:558:25
614.55:558:25
714.55:558:26
814.55:558:27
914.65:558:28
1014.65:558:29
1114.65:558:29
1214.65:558:30
1314.65:558:31
1414.65:568:31
1514.65:568:32
1614.65:568:33
1714.65:568:33
1814.65:578:34
1914.65:578:35
2014.65:578:35
2114.65:588:36
2214.65:588:36
2314.65:598:37
2414.65:598:37
2514.66:008:37
2614.66:008:38
2714.66:018:38
2814.66:028:38
2914.66:028:39
3014.66:038:39
3114.66:048:39

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.02 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.6 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 6.02 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.0Intense
116.0Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.4Intense
256.5Intense
266.5Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.7Intense
306.7Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Cambridge

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is December a good time to visit Cambridge?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Cambridge for sightseeing.

What to pack for Cambridge in December

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

In December, Cambridge sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 13°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Cambridge in December

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 57 km away) is warmest in February at about 21°C and coldest in August near 14°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 17 to Mar 15 — about 1.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May17Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul14Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Cambridge in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cambridge peaks around December 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateModerateVery highExtremeDec 23UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5Moderate
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Cambridge?

Cambridge sits at 37.9°S, 175.4°E, 67 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Hamilton East, 17 km away.

PapakuraTakaniniTaupo

Topography around Cambridge

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cambridge has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m around an average of 60 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 459 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,188 m.

The land around Cambridge is covered by grassland (64%) within 3 km, grassland (75%) within 16 km, and grassland (53%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
59 m
16 km
459 m
80 km
1,188 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Hamilton East 17 km · Hamilton 17 km · Tauranga 67 km · Rotorua 76 km · Pukekohe East 87 km · Papakura 101 km · Takanini 104 km · Taupo 106 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Cambridge (-37.8782°, 175.4402°, elevation 67 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).