Arecibo weather in December

In December, Arecibo sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 48 mm of rain across 11.4 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Arecibo's 3rd-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Arecibo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
10th warmest
Overnight low
23°
5th coldest
Rainfall
48 mm
11.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:56 AM – 5:50 PM
Cloud cover
40%
3rd clearest
Wind
15 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical December day in Arecibo reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12723
22723
32723
42723
52723
62723
72723
82723
92723
102723
112723
122723
132723
142723
152723
162723
172722
182722
192722
202722
212722
222722
232722
242722
252722
262722
272722
282722
292722
302722
312722

How December really feels in Arecibo

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.

Arecibo weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 22°419.5117.0
Feb27° / 22°368.111.47.0
Mar27° / 22°591011.96.7
Apr28° / 22°10713.712.45.8
May29° / 24°16518.312.94.5
Jun30° / 24°9213.813.14.6
Jul30° / 25°7914.9134.5
Aug30° / 25°10119.612.63.9
Sep30° / 25°15422.312.13.6
Oct29° / 24°13821.411.64.0
Nov28° / 23°11317.511.15.2
Dec27° / 23°4811.410.96.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27921
37921
48020
58020
68020
78020
88119
98119
108119
118119
128119
138119
148119
158218
168218
178218
188218
198218
208218
218218
228218
238317
248416
258416
268416
278515
288515
298515
308515
318614

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Arecibo gets around 48 mm of rain over 11.4 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 36% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
240
339
439
538
638
738
838
937
1037
1137
1237
1336
1436
1536
1636
1737
1837
1937
2037
2136
2236
2336
2435
2535
2634
2734
2833
2933
3033
3132

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 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1226711
2227701
3328681
4329680
5329680
6330670
7331660
8332650
9333640
10334630
11335620
12336610
13337600
14337600
15338590
16339580
17340570
18341560
19343540
20344530
21345520
22447490
23448480
24450460
25452440
26453430
27455410
28456400
29457390
30459370
31460360

Wind in December

Winds average 15 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 16 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
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:48 AM to 7:03 AM, and sunset from 5:46 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:485:46
211.06:485:46
311.06:495:46
410.96:495:46
510.96:505:46
610.96:515:47
710.96:515:47
810.96:525:47
910.96:525:47
1010.96:535:48
1110.96:535:48
1210.96:545:48
1310.96:555:49
1410.96:555:49
1510.96:565:50
1610.96:565:50
1710.96:575:50
1810.96:575:51
1910.96:585:51
2010.96:585:52
2110.96:595:52
2210.96:595:53
2310.97:005:53
2410.97:005:53
2510.97:015:54
2610.97:015:54
2710.97:015:55
2810.97:025:56
2910.97:025:56
3010.97:035:57
3110.97:035:57

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.4 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.4 kWh/m² to a high of 6.53 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 4.4 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.4Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.4Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Arecibo

In seasonPeak

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

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

Arecibo sees seasonal dust haze (July), heaviest in July.

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

Is December a good time to visit Arecibo?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Arecibo for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Arecibo in December

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

In December, Arecibo sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Arecibo in December

The nearest coast averages about 27°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 19 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in March near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr27Warm
May27Warm
Jun28Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Arecibo in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Arecibo peaks around April 12 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highApr 12UV 13Dec 15UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb10Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Arecibo 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 Arecibo is worst in July — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.8× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1324 µg/m³Jan 105 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr8Good
May14Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul24Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov7Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Arecibo?

Arecibo sits at 18.5°N, 66.7°W, 7 m above sea level, in Puerto Rico. The nearest listed city is Barceloneta, 19 km away.

BarcelonetaManatíVega BajaAguadillaYaucoPonceMayagüezCandelaria

Topography around Arecibo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Arecibo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 408 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,307 m.

The land around Arecibo is covered by water (44%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, water (45%) and trees (35%) within 16 km, and water (55%) and trees (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
80 m
16 km
408 m
80 km
1,307 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Barceloneta 19 km · Manatí 24 km · Vega Baja 35 km · Aguadilla 47 km · Yauco 51 km · Ponce 52 km · Mayagüez 54 km · Candelaria 54 km

Puerto Rico travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 78% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$40,620
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2015
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
14.6
per 100k, 2023
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Roman Catholic 56%Protestant 33%none 7%other 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 Arecibo (18.4724°, -66.7157°, elevation 7 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. 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).