Madang weather in December

In December, Madang sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 427 mm of rain across 29 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in December, and the air most often feels miserable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of December to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Madang's 9th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Madang's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
4th warmest
Overnight low
24°
12th coldest
Rainfall
427 mm
29 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:04 AM – 6:22 PM
Cloud cover
91%
9th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.9
out of 10

Madang is human settlement in Papua New Guinea.

Founded
1884

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 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Madang reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12924
22924
32924
42924
52924
62924
72924
82924
92924
102924
112924
122924
132924
142924
152924
162924
172924
182924
192924
202924
212924
222924
232924
242924
252924
262924
272924
282924
292924
302925
312925

How December really feels in Madang

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Madang weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 24°43028.812.32.9
Feb29° / 24°39526.412.22.8
Mar29° / 24°46628.2123.0
Apr29° / 24°41427.411.93.1
May29° / 24°26224.411.83.7
Jun28° / 24°15020.611.74.1
Jul28° / 24°16920.511.74.4
Aug28° / 24°15117.611.84.7
Sep29° / 24°15117.3124.5
Oct29° / 24°22922.112.13.9
Nov29° / 24°33725.912.23.3
Dec29° / 24°4272912.32.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 3% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 96%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1991
2991
3793
4793
5793
6793
7694
8694
9694
10496
11496
12496
13496
14496
15397
16397
17397
18397
19397
20298
21298
22298
23298
24298
25298
26298
27298
28397
29397
30496
31496

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Madang gets around 427 mm of rain over 29 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 94% and peaks near 95% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
190
291
391
491
592
692
793
893
993
1094
1194
1294
1394
1494
1595
1695
1795
1895
1995
2095
2195
2295
2394
2494
2594
2694
2794
2894
2993
3093
3193

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the miserable band about 60% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
14753
24654
34654
44654
54555
64456
74456
84357
94357
104258
114159
124060
134060
143961
153862
163862
173763
183763
193664
203664
213664
223664
233664
243763
253763
263763
273862
283862
293862
303961
313961

Wind in December

Winds average 4 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of December to 12 h 18 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 5:58 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 6:15 PM to 6:29 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:586:15
212.35:586:15
312.35:596:16
412.35:596:16
512.36:006:17
612.36:006:17
712.36:006:18
812.36:016:18
912.36:016:19
1012.36:016:19
1112.36:026:20
1212.36:026:20
1312.36:036:21
1412.36:036:21
1512.36:046:22
1612.36:046:22
1712.36:046:23
1812.36:056:23
1912.36:056:23
2012.36:066:24
2112.36:066:24
2212.36:076:25
2312.36:076:25
2412.36:086:26
2512.36:086:26
2612.36:096:27
2712.36:096:27
2812.36:106:28
2912.36:106:28
3012.36:116:29
3112.36:116:29

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.4 kWh/m² to a high of 5.37 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 4.66 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Madang

In seasonPeak

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

Madang 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 Madang?

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

2.9
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Madang.

What to pack for Madang in December

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

In December, Madang sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 29 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Madang in December

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 15 km away) is warmest in December at about 30°C and coldest in August near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug28Warm
Sep28Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec30Tropical

UV index in Madang in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Madang peaks around March 13 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 13UV 16Jun 21UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Madang?

Madang sits at 5.2°S, 145.8°E, 4 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Goroka, 106 km away.

GorokaMount HagenLaeBuloloMendiWewakPopondettaKimbe

Topography around Madang

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Madang has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 548 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,835 m.

The land around Madang is covered by trees (45%), water (25%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, water (51%) and trees (47%) within 16 km, and trees (60%) and water (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
45 m
16 km
548 m
80 km
3,835 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
December weather nearby: Goroka 106 km · Mount Hagen 186 km · Lae 214 km · Bulolo 240 km · Mendi 257 km · Wewak 303 km · Popondetta 478 km · Kimbe 483 km

Papua New Guinea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type I
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 58% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,020
2025
Homicide rate
9.3
per 100k, 2010
Road deaths
12.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 64%Roman Catholic 26%other Christian 5%non-Christian 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 Madang (-5.2215°, 145.7869°, elevation 4 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).