Gustavia weather in December

In December, Gustavia sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 46 mm of rain across 10.8 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% 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 Gustavia's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Gustavia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
8th warmest
Overnight low
25°
5th coldest
Rainfall
46 mm
10.8 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:40 AM – 5:36 PM
Cloud cover
34%
4th clearest
Wind
26 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Gustavia is main settlement and capital city of St. Barthélemy.

Founded
1785

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 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Gustavia reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 27°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)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52725
62725
72625
82625
92625
102625
112625
122625
132625
142625
152625
162625
172625
182625
192625
202625
212625
222625
232625
242625
252625
262625
272625
282625
292625
302625
312625

How December really feels in Gustavia

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.

Gustavia weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 8th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 24°269.1117.5
Feb25° / 24°206.411.47.8
Mar25° / 24°195.411.98.1
Apr26° / 25°307.412.47.5
May27° / 26°6111.512.86.5
Jun27° / 26°4610.313.16.4
Jul28° / 26°7013.8136.1
Aug28° / 27°841512.65.6
Sep28° / 27°11416.812.15.1
Oct28° / 26°12916.211.65.6
Nov27° / 26°10114.111.26.1
Dec26° / 25°4610.810.97.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 16%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18218
28218
38218
48218
58218
68218
78218
88218
98218
108218
118317
128317
138317
148317
158416
168416
178416
188416
198515
208515
218515
228515
238614
248614
258614
268713
278713
288713
298713
308812
318812

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Gustavia gets around 46 mm of rain over 10.8 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 35% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
337
437
537
638
738
838
938
1038
1138
1238
1338
1437
1537
1636
1736
1835
1935
2034
2133
2233
2332
2432
2531
2631
2730
2830
2930
3030
3129

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 70% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
10418771
20418771
30419761
40319771
50319780
60319780
70320770
80320770
90320770
100321760
110321760
120322750
130322750
140323740
150323740
160324730
170325720
181326700
191327690
201328680
211329670
221331650
231332640
241333630
251334620
261335610
271335610
281336600
290337600
300338590
310339580

Wind in December

Winds average 26 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 28 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
325breezy
425breezy
526breezy
626breezy
726breezy
826breezy
926breezy
1026breezy
1126breezy
1226breezy
1326breezy
1426breezy
1526breezy
1626breezy
1726breezy
1826breezy
1926breezy
2026breezy
2126breezy
2227breezy
2327breezy
2427breezy
2527breezy
2627breezy
2727breezy
2827breezy
2927breezy
3027breezy
3128breezy

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 6:31 AM to 6:46 AM, and sunset from 5:31 PM to 5:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:315:31
211.06:325:31
311.06:325:32
411.06:335:32
511.06:335:32
611.06:345:32
711.06:355:33
811.06:355:33
911.06:365:33
1011.06:365:33
1110.96:375:34
1210.96:375:34
1310.96:385:34
1410.96:385:35
1510.96:395:35
1610.96:405:36
1710.96:405:36
1810.96:415:36
1910.96:415:37
2010.96:425:37
2110.96:425:38
2210.96:435:38
2310.96:435:39
2410.96:435:39
2510.96:445:40
2610.96:445:40
2710.96:455:41
2810.96:455:41
2910.96:465:42
3010.96:465:42
3110.96:465:43

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.5 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.5 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.5 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
34.6Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.5Bright
124.5Bright
134.5Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
314.5Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Gustavia

In seasonPeak

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

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

Gustavia's rainy season runs July–November, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

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

Is December a good time to visit Gustavia?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Gustavia for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Gustavia in December

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

In December, Gustavia sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 25°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Gustavia 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 offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February 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
Jun28Warm
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Gustavia 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 Gustavia peaks around April 11 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highApr 11UV 13Dec 17UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct10Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Gustavia 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 Gustavia is worst in July — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1223 µg/m³Dec 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar7Good
Apr9Good
May13Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Gustavia?

Gustavia sits at 17.9°N, 62.8°W, 6 m above sea level, in Saint Barthelemy. The nearest listed city is Philipsburg, 25 km away.

Topography around Gustavia

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Gustavia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 187 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 273 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,092 m.

The land around Gustavia is covered by water (66%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, water (98%) within 16 km, and water (97%) within 80 km.

3 km
187 m
16 km
273 m
80 km
1,092 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Philipsburg 25 km · Marigot 31 km · The Valley 42 km · Basseterre 68 km · Codrington 112 km · St. John's 137 km · Brades 140 km · Plymouth 149 km

Saint Barthelemy travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions

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 Gustavia (17.8962°, -62.8498°, elevation 6 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).