Basseterre weather in December

In December, Basseterre sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 54 mm of rain across 13.3 wet days and about 11 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 72% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 11 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Basseterre's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Basseterre's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
8th warmest
Overnight low
25°
5th coldest
Rainfall
54 mm
13.3 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:38 AM – 5:36 PM
Cloud cover
34%
4th clearest
Wind
27 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
4.6 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Basseterre is capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Density
1,995/km²
people per km²
Founded
1627

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 Basseterre 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 Basseterre

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.

Basseterre 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°3010.311.17.3
Feb25° / 24°217.311.47.7
Mar25° / 24°206.811.97.8
Apr26° / 25°338.512.47.3
May27° / 26°6111.912.86.4
Jun27° / 26°4710.9136.3
Jul28° / 26°7414.512.96.0
Aug28° / 26°911712.65.5
Sep28° / 26°11817.712.15.2
Oct28° / 26°12517.811.65.4
Nov27° / 26°10515.811.25.9
Dec26° / 25°5413.3116.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 72% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18119
28218
38218
48317
58317
68317
78317
88218
98218
108317
118416
128416
138515
148515
158515
168515
178515
188515
198515
208515
218515
228515
238614
248614
258713
268812
278812
288812
298812
309010
319010

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Basseterre gets around 54 mm of rain over 13.3 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 42% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
143
243
343
444
544
644
745
845
945
1046
1146
1246
1345
1445
1545
1644
1743
1843
1942
2041
2141
2240
2340
2439
2539
2639
2739
2838
2938
3038
3138

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 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 97% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
10316801
20316801
30317791
40317791
50317791
60317800
70317800
80317800
90318790
100318790
110318790
120318790
130318790
140319780
150319780
160320770
170321760
180322750
190323740
200324730
210325720
221326700
231327690
241328680
251329670
261230670
271231660
281231660
290232660
300233650
310234640

Wind in December

Winds average 27 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 26 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
126breezy
226breezy
326breezy
426breezy
526breezy
626breezy
727breezy
827breezy
927breezy
1027breezy
1127breezy
1227breezy
1327breezy
1427breezy
1527breezy
1627breezy
1727breezy
1827breezy
1927breezy
2027breezy
2127breezy
2227breezy
2327breezy
2428breezy
2528breezy
2628breezy
2728breezy
2828breezy
2928breezy
3028breezy
3128breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:29 AM to 6:45 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:295:32
211.06:305:32
311.06:315:32
411.06:315:32
511.06:325:33
611.06:325:33
711.06:335:33
811.06:345:33
911.06:345:34
1011.06:355:34
1111.06:355:34
1211.06:365:35
1311.06:365:35
1411.06:375:35
1511.06:375:36
1611.06:385:36
1711.06:385:37
1811.06:395:37
1911.06:395:37
2011.06:405:38
2111.06:405:38
2211.06:415:39
2311.06:415:39
2411.06:425:40
2511.06:425:40
2611.06:435:41
2711.06:435:41
2811.06:445:42
2911.06:445:42
3011.06:445:43
3111.06:455:43

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.6 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.6 kWh/m² to a high of 6.71 kWh/m² in April across the year — December's 4.6 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.7Bright
54.7Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.6Bright
184.6Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Basseterre

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Basseterre 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 Basseterre?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Basseterre in December

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

In December, Basseterre sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 25°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Basseterre 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 14 km away) 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 Basseterre 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 Basseterre peaks around April 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 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 10UV 13Dec 16UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan8Very high
Feb11Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct10Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Basseterre 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 Basseterre is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2225 µg/m³Dec 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr11Good
May15Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug21Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct17Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Basseterre?

Basseterre sits at 17.3°N, 62.7°W, -22 m above sea level, in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The nearest listed city is Gustavia, 68 km away.

Topography around Basseterre

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Basseterre has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 368 m around an average of 48 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,141 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,090 m.

The land around Basseterre is covered by water (40%), grassland (21%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, water (81%) within 16 km, and water (98%) within 80 km.

3 km
368 m
16 km
1,141 m
80 km
1,090 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Gustavia 68 km · Brades 78 km · Plymouth 85 km · Philipsburg 88 km · Marigot 94 km · St. John's 96 km · Codrington 103 km · Falmouth 105 km

Saint Kitts and Nevis travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / D / G
230 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 69% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$25,223
2025
Homicide rate
64.2
per 100k, 2023
Income group
High
World Bank

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 Basseterre (17.2955°, -62.725°, elevation -22 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).