Ponta Delgada weather in December

In December, Ponta Delgada sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 144 mm of rain across 14.7 wet days and about 9.4 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Ponta Delgada's 11th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ponta Delgada's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
8th warmest
Overnight low
15°
5th coldest
Rainfall
144 mm
14.7 wet days
Daylight
9 h 24 min
7:57 AM – 5:21 PM
Cloud cover
68%
11th clearest
Wind
28 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
1.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.7
out of 10

Ponta Delgada is city seat of Ponta Delgada municipality, Azores, Portugal.

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 17°C through the month.

A typical December day in Ponta Delgada reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°13°15°18°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11716
21716
31716
41716
51716
61716
71716
81716
91716
101716
111715
121715
131715
141715
151715
161715
171715
181715
191715
201715
211715
221715
231715
241715
251715
261715
271715
281715
291615
301615
311615

Ponta Delgada weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan16° / 14°10213.39.74.5
Feb15° / 14°8610.610.54.4
Mar15° / 14°9712.211.74.5
Apr16° / 14°731012.94.8
May17° / 16°649.3145.6
Jun19° / 18°406.914.66.6
Jul21° / 20°184.714.37.6
Aug23° / 21°346.213.57.6
Sep22° / 21°589.912.36.8
Oct20° / 19°10813.9115.8
Nov18° / 17°8210.8105.6
Dec17° / 15°14414.79.44.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
34060
43961
53961
63961
73961
83961
93961
103862
113862
123862
133862
143862
153862
163862
173763
183961
193961
203862
213862
223862
233862
243862
253862
263961
273862
283862
293961
303961
313961

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Ponta Delgada gets around 144 mm of rain over 14.7 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 47% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
240
340
440
541
642
743
844
945
1046
1147
1248
1348
1449
1550
1650
1751
1851
1951
2051
2151
2251
2350
2450
2550
2649
2749
2849
2949
3049
3149

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 53% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1542818
2542818
3532918
4532918
5523018
6523018
7513118
8513217
9523216
10513316
11513415
12523414
13523513
14523612
15533611
16533710
17533710
1853389
1954388
2054388
2153398
2254397
2354397
2454397
2554397
2654397
2754397
2854397
2954397
3054397
3155396

Wind in December

Winds average 28 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 26 km/h on the calmest days to 29 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
126breezy
226breezy
326breezy
426breezy
526breezy
626breezy
726breezy
827breezy
927breezy
1027breezy
1127breezy
1227breezy
1327breezy
1428breezy
1528breezy
1628breezy
1728breezy
1828breezy
1929breezy
2029breezy
2129breezy
2229breezy
2329breezy
2429breezy
2529breezy
2629breezy
2729breezy
2829breezy
2929breezy
3029breezy
3129breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of December to 9 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:45 AM to 8:03 AM, and sunset from 5:20 PM to 5:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.67:455:20
29.67:465:20
39.57:475:20
49.57:485:19
59.57:495:19
69.57:495:19
79.57:505:19
89.57:515:19
99.57:525:20
109.57:535:20
119.47:535:20
129.47:545:20
139.47:555:20
149.47:555:20
159.47:565:21
169.47:575:21
179.47:575:21
189.47:585:22
199.47:595:22
209.47:595:22
219.48:005:23
229.48:005:23
239.48:015:24
249.48:015:24
259.48:015:25
269.48:025:25
279.48:025:26
289.48:025:27
299.48:035:27
309.48:035:28
319.48:035:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 1.91 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.91 kWh/m² to a high of 6.83 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 1.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.0Moderate
22.0Moderate
32.0Moderate
42.0Moderate
52.0Moderate
62.0Dim
72.0Dim
82.0Dim
92.0Dim
101.9Dim
111.9Dim
121.9Dim
131.9Dim
141.9Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
171.9Dim
181.9Dim
191.9Dim
201.9Dim
211.9Dim
221.9Dim
231.9Dim
241.9Dim
251.9Dim
261.9Dim
271.9Dim
281.9Dim
291.9Dim
301.9Dim
311.9Dim
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Ponta Delgada

In seasonPeak

None of Ponta Delgada's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Ponta Delgada sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

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

Is December a good time to visit Ponta Delgada?

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

4.7
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
1.1
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Ponta Delgada for sightseeing.

What to pack for Ponta Delgada in December

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

In December, Ponta Delgada sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 15°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and a windbreaker. About 15 days see rain.

rain geara warm layera windbreaker

Sea temperature near Ponta Delgada in December

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 13 km away) is warmest in August at about 23°C and coldest in March near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 23 to Nov 6 — about 4.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr17Cool
May18Cool
Jun20Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Ponta Delgada in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ponta Delgada peaks around August 10 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateAug 10UV 9Dec 23UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr6High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep7High
Oct5High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Ponta Delgada?

Ponta Delgada sits at 37.7°N, 25.7°W, 12 m above sea level, in Portugal. The nearest listed city is Angra do Heroísmo, 169 km away.

Angra do HeroísmoCâmara de LobosSanto AntónioFunchalSão MartinhoCaniço

Topography around Ponta Delgada

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ponta Delgada has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 228 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 937 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,068 m.

The land around Ponta Delgada is covered by water (48%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, water (66%) within 16 km, and water (92%) within 80 km.

3 km
228 m
16 km
937 m
80 km
1,068 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Angra do Heroísmo 169 km · Câmara de Lobos 971 km · Santo António 973 km · Funchal 974 km · São Martinho 974 km · Caniço 981 km · Los Llanos de Aridane 1,240 km · Santa Cruz de la Palma 1,246 km

Portugal travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / E / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 60% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$32,082
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
95%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
8.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 612
Religion
Catholic 68%not applicable 13%no religion 12%no response 2%

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 Ponta Delgada (37.7395°, -25.6687°, elevation 12 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).