Port Moresby weather in December

In December, Port Moresby sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 170 mm of rain across 21.2 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of December to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Port Moresby's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Moresby's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
1st warmest
Overnight low
24°
12th coldest
Rainfall
170 mm
21.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:51 AM – 6:24 PM
Cloud cover
81%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.63 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Port Moresby is capital of Papua New Guinea.

Density
1,182/km²
people per km²
Founded
1873

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 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Port Moresby reaches about 30°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 28°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)
13024
23024
33024
43024
53024
63024
73024
83024
93024
103024
113024
123024
133024
143024
153024
163024
173024
183024
193024
203024
213024
223024
233024
243024
253025
263025
273025
283025
293025
303025
313025

How December really feels in Port Moresby

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.

Port Moresby weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 24°22922.912.53.4
Feb29° / 24°19520.912.33.4
Mar29° / 24°27624.912.13.4
Apr29° / 24°17720.211.84.0
May29° / 24°8112.211.65.2
Jun28° / 23°518.611.56.2
Jul28° / 23°295.211.56.8
Aug28° / 23°346.411.76.8
Sep28° / 23°457.811.95.9
Oct29° / 24°621112.25.2
Nov30° / 24°11015.512.44.4
Dec30° / 24°17021.212.53.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 7% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 9% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 84%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22476
32476
42377
52377
62179
72080
82080
92080
101882
111882
121882
131783
141684
151684
161684
171684
181585
191585
201585
211585
221486
231486
241486
251288
261288
271189
28991
29991
30991
31991

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Port Moresby gets around 170 mm of rain over 21.2 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 68% and peaks near 73% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
260
361
462
564
665
766
866
967
1067
1168
1268
1369
1469
1569
1669
1769
1869
1969
2070
2170
2270
2371
2471
2572
2672
2772
2873
2973
3073
3173

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 71% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
166628
266529
356629
456629
546630
646630
746630
836730
936730
1036829
1136829
1236928
1337027
1427226
1527226
1627325
1727424
1827424
1927424
2027424
2127424
2227424
2327424
2427424
2527424
2617524
2717524
2827424
2927424
3027424
3127424

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December, the calmest month.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of December to 12 h 30 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 5:46 AM to 5:58 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:31 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.55:466:17
212.55:466:17
312.55:466:18
412.55:476:18
512.55:476:19
612.55:476:19
712.55:486:20
812.55:486:20
912.55:486:21
1012.55:496:21
1112.55:496:22
1212.55:496:22
1312.55:506:23
1412.55:506:23
1512.55:516:24
1612.65:516:24
1712.65:516:25
1812.65:526:25
1912.65:526:26
2012.65:536:26
2112.65:536:26
2212.65:546:27
2312.65:546:27
2412.65:556:28
2512.65:556:28
2612.65:566:29
2712.65:566:29
2812.65:576:30
2912.55:576:30
3012.55:586:31
3112.55:586:31

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.63 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.29 kWh/m² to a high of 5.92 kWh/m² in November across the year — December's 5.63 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.7Bright
165.7Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.7Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Port Moresby

In seasonPeak

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

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

Port Moresby's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Port Moresby?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Port Moresby.

What to pack for Port Moresby in December

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

In December, Port Moresby sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Port Moresby in December

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 17 km away) is warmest in January at about 29°C and coldest in August near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Warm
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Port Moresby 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 Port Moresby peaks around March 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 10UV 16Jun 20UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Port Moresby?

Port Moresby sits at 9.5°S, 147.2°E, 25 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Popondetta, 143 km away.

PopondettaBuloloLaeGorokaDaruMadangMount HagenMendi

Topography around Port Moresby

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Moresby has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 229 m around an average of 21 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 402 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,978 m.

The land around Port Moresby is covered by water (69%) within 3 km, water (53%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and trees (55%) and water (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
229 m
16 km
402 m
80 km
3,978 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
December weather nearby: Popondetta 143 km · Bulolo 259 km · Lae 307 km · Goroka 424 km · Daru 435 km · Madang 497 km · Mount Hagen 515 km · Mendi 534 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 Port Moresby (-9.4772°, 147.1509°, elevation 25 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).