Timaru weather in December

In December, Timaru sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 80 mm of rain across 13.8 wet days and about 15.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 16°C through the month. 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 15 h 06 min at the start of December to 15 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Timaru's 12th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Timaru's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
4th warmest
Overnight low
11°
10th coldest
Rainfall
80 mm
13.8 wet days
Daylight
15 h 18 min
5:51 AM – 9:11 PM
Cloud cover
69%
12th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.62 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Timaru is town in New Zealand's South Island.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 15 µg/m³ · 2012
Density
862/km²
people per km²
Founded
1868

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 16°C through the month.

A typical December day in Timaru reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 13°C and 20°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11610
21610
31610
41610
51611
61611
71611
81611
91611
101611
111611
121611
131611
141611
151611
161611
171611
181611
191611
201711
211711
221711
231712
241712
251712
261712
271712
281712
291712
301712
311712

How December really feels in Timaru

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.

Timaru weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 12°8112.80155.3
Feb18° / 13°7210.7013.95.5
Mar17° / 11°6310.1012.45.2
Apr14° / 6410.5010.84.2
May12° / 528.309.43.3
Jun / 518.60.68.72.0
Jul / 547.70.391.7
Aug10° / 539.10.410.22.2
Sep12° / 4890.411.73.0
Oct13° / 6211.50.113.23.5
Nov15° / 7412.60.114.64.0
Dec16° / 11°8013.8015.34.6

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 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 67%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23367
33367
43268
53268
63268
73169
83169
93169
103169
113169
123169
133169
143268
153268
163268
173268
183367
193466
203466
213466
223466
233466
243466
253466
263565
273565
283664
293664
303763
313763

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Timaru gets around 80 mm of rain over 13.8 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 45% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
345
445
544
644
744
844
944
1044
1144
1244
1345
1445
1545
1645
1745
1845
1945
2045
2145
2245
2345
2445
2545
2645
2744
2844
2944
3045
3145

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 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19370
29280
39280
49280
59190
69091
79091
889101
989101
1089101
1188111
1288111
1388111
1488120
1588120
1687130
1787130
1886140
1986140
2085150
2185150
2284160
2384160
2483170
2583170
2682180
2782180
2881190
2980200
3080200
3179210

Wind in December

Winds average 14 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 06 min at the start of December to 15 h 18 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 5:52 AM to 5:59 AM, and sunset from 8:58 PM to 9:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.15:528:58
215.15:528:59
315.15:519:00
415.25:519:01
515.25:519:02
615.25:519:03
715.25:519:04
815.25:519:05
915.35:509:05
1015.35:509:06
1115.35:519:07
1215.35:519:08
1315.35:519:09
1415.35:519:10
1515.35:519:10
1615.35:519:11
1715.35:529:12
1815.35:529:12
1915.35:529:13
2015.35:539:13
2115.35:539:14
2215.35:539:14
2315.35:549:15
2415.35:549:15
2515.35:559:16
2615.35:569:16
2715.35:569:16
2815.35:579:17
2915.35:589:17
3015.35:589:17
3115.35:599:17

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.62 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 6.62 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.5Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.5Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.6Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.9Intense
246.9Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.1Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.2Intense
317.2Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Timaru?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
0.8
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Timaru for sightseeing.

What to pack for Timaru in December

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

In December, Timaru sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 11°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

sun protectiona warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Timaru 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 offshore 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
Jan16Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr14Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun10Bracing
Jul9Bracing
Aug9Bracing
Sep10Bracing
Oct11Bracing
Nov13Bracing
Dec15Bracing

UV index in Timaru 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 Timaru peaks around January 15 at about 10 (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 15UV 10Jun 17UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul1Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep3Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Timaru 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 Timaru is worst in September — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Timaru's WHO annual average of 15 µg/m³.

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateSep 1822 µg/m³Jun 147 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan18Moderate
Feb21Moderate
Mar21Moderate
Apr11Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul8Good
Aug12Good
Sep23Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec18Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Timaru?

Timaru sits at 44.4°S, 171.3°E, 14 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Ashburton, 67 km away.

RollestonFranz JosefChristchurchRangioraWanakaDunedin

Topography around Timaru

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Timaru has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 57 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 383 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,287 m.

The land around Timaru is covered by water (44%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 3 km, water (47%) and grassland (28%) within 16 km, and grassland (54%) and water (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
57 m
16 km
383 m
80 km
2,287 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ashburton 67 km · Tekapo 75 km · Rolleston 128 km · Franz Josef 141 km · Christchurch 146 km · Rangiora 162 km · Wanaka 170 km · Dunedin 175 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 Timaru (-44.3967°, 171.2536°, elevation 14 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).