Rolleston weather in December

In December, Rolleston sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 59 mm of rain across 9.8 wet days and about 15.2 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 hours at the start of December to 15 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Rolleston's 12th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rolleston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
11°
10th coldest
Rainfall
59 mm
9.8 wet days
Daylight
15 h 12 min
5:50 AM – 9:03 PM
Cloud cover
67%
12th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.84 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Rolleston is town in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Density
1,545/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 climb over the month, from about 19°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical December day in Rolleston reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 26°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11910
21910
31910
42010
52010
62010
72010
82011
92011
102011
112011
122011
132011
142011
152011
162011
172011
182011
192011
202011
212111
222111
232111
242111
252111
262111
272111
282112
292112
302112
312112

How December really feels in Rolleston

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.

Rolleston weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 12°538.114.96.8
Feb22° / 12°416.113.87.1
Mar20° / 10°446.512.46.8
Apr17° / 518.410.85.7
May14° / 4889.54.4
Jun11° / 5898.83.0
Jul11° / 548.29.12.8
Aug12° / 549.810.23.4
Sep14° / 509.411.74.4
Oct16° / 5710.813.25.1
Nov18° / 579.814.55.9
Dec20° / 11°599.815.26.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23763
33763
43763
53763
63763
73763
83862
93862
103862
113763
123763
133763
143763
153664
163664
173664
183664
193664
203664
213664
223763
233961
243961
253961
263961
274159
284258
294258
304258
314357

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Rolleston gets around 59 mm of rain over 9.8 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 32% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
631
731
831
931
1032
1132
1232
1332
1433
1533
1633
1733
1833
1933
2033
2133
2232
2332
2432
2531
2631
2731
2830
2930
3030
3130

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 85% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
189101
289101
388111
488111
587121
687121
786131
886131
986131
1085141
1185141
1285141
1385141
1485141
1585141
1685141
1785141
1885141
1985141
2085141
2185141
2285141
2385141
2485141
2584142
2684142
2784142
2883152
2983152
3082162
3182162

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 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
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 hours at the start of December to 15 h 12 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 5:50 AM to 5:58 AM, and sunset from 8:50 PM to 9:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.05:508:50
215.05:508:51
315.05:508:52
415.15:498:53
515.15:498:54
615.15:498:55
715.15:498:56
815.15:498:57
915.25:498:58
1015.25:498:59
1115.25:499:00
1215.25:499:01
1315.25:499:01
1415.25:499:02
1515.25:509:03
1615.25:509:03
1715.25:509:04
1815.25:509:05
1915.25:519:05
2015.25:519:06
2115.25:529:06
2215.25:529:07
2315.25:529:07
2415.25:539:08
2515.25:549:08
2615.25:549:09
2715.25:559:09
2815.25:559:09
2915.25:569:09
3015.25:579:10
3115.25:589:10

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.84 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.46 kWh/m² to a high of 6.98 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 6.84 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.7Intense
56.7Intense
66.7Intense
76.7Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.8Intense
166.8Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
227.1Intense
237.1Intense
247.2Intense
257.3Intense
267.3Intense
277.4Intense
287.4Intense
297.4Intense
307.5Intense
317.5Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Rolleston?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
3.4
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Rolleston for sightseeing.

What to pack for Rolleston in December

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

In December, Rolleston sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 11°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Rolleston in December

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 32 km away) is warmest in February at about 17°C and coldest in August near 9°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr14Bracing
May13Bracing
Jun11Bracing
Jul9Bracing
Aug9Bracing
Sep10Bracing
Oct12Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec15Cool

UV index in Rolleston in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rolleston peaks around January 16 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 16UV 11Jun 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Rolleston?

Rolleston sits at 43.6°S, 172.4°E, 60 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Christchurch, 21 km away.

TimaruTekapoKaikouraFranz JosefRichmond

Topography around Rolleston

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Rolleston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 59 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 166 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,161 m.

The land around Rolleston is covered by grassland (42%) and cropland (27%) within 3 km, grassland (52%) and cropland (30%) within 16 km, and water (37%) and grassland (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
45 m
16 km
166 m
80 km
2,161 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Christchurch 21 km · Rangiora 35 km · Ashburton 63 km · Timaru 128 km · Tekapo 160 km · Kaikoura 167 km · Franz Josef 179 km · Richmond 259 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 Rolleston (-43.5833°, 172.3833°, elevation 60 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).