Rābigh weather in December

In December, Rābigh sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 13 mm of rain across 1.6 wet days and about 10.6 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 28°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 78% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 42 min at the start of December to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Rābigh's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rābigh's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
10th warmest
Overnight low
21°
4th coldest
Rainfall
13 mm
1.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 36 min
7:02 AM – 5:38 PM
Cloud cover
22%
11th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 28°C by the end.

A typical December day in Rābigh reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13023
23022
33022
43022
53022
63022
73022
83022
93022
102922
112922
122922
132922
142921
152921
162921
172921
182921
192921
202921
212921
222921
232921
242921
252921
262821
272821
282821
292821
302821
312821

How December really feels in Rābigh

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.

Rābigh weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 20°14210.88.3
Feb28° / 20°20.611.28.0
Mar30° / 21°30.811.86.6
Apr33° / 24°30.512.54.8
May35° / 26°00.113.13.1
Jun37° / 27°0013.42.4
Jul37° / 29°0013.31.9
Aug37° / 29°0012.81.9
Sep37° / 28°0012.12.2
Oct36° / 27°10.211.53.1
Nov32° / 24°272.310.95.2
Dec29° / 21°131.610.67.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 78% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18911
28911
38911
48812
58713
68713
78812
88812
98812
108812
118812
128812
138812
148812
158812
168812
178812
188812
198812
208812
218911
228911
238911
248812
258812
268812
278713
288713
298515
308515
318416

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Rābigh gets around 13 mm of rain over 1.6 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 6% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
27
37
47
57
66
76
86
96
105
115
125
135
145
155
165
174
184
194
204
214
225
235
245
255
266
276
286
297
307
317

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the humid band about 25% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 31% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11320222916
21420222915
31520222914
41521222913
51621222812
61721232812
71721232811
81822232810
9182224279
10192324278
11192324267
12202425266
13202525255
14212525244
15212626244
16212626233
17222626233
18222726223
19222726223
20222726223
21232726213
22232726213
23232726213
24232726213
25222726214
26222726204
27222726204
28222726204
29232726205
30232726195
31242725195

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min at the start of December to 10 h 36 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 6:53 AM to 7:08 AM, and sunset from 5:35 PM to 5:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.76:535:35
210.76:535:35
310.76:545:35
410.76:555:35
510.76:555:35
610.76:565:35
710.76:565:36
810.66:575:36
910.66:585:36
1010.66:585:36
1110.66:595:37
1210.66:595:37
1310.67:005:37
1410.67:015:38
1510.67:015:38
1610.67:025:38
1710.67:025:39
1810.67:035:39
1910.67:035:39
2010.67:045:40
2110.67:045:40
2210.67:055:41
2310.67:055:41
2410.67:065:42
2510.67:065:42
2610.67:075:43
2710.67:075:43
2810.67:075:44
2910.67:085:44
3010.67:085:45
3110.67:085:46

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.35 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.35 kWh/m² to a high of 7.55 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 4.35 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.4Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.4Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.4Bright
154.4Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.3Bright
234.3Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Rābigh

In seasonPeak

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

Rābigh sees seasonal dust haze (April–September), heaviest in June.

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

Is December a good time to visit Rābigh?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
8.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Rābigh in December

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

In December, Rābigh sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Rābigh 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 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 31°C and coldest in February near 25°C.

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

24°26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr26Warm
May28Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug31Tropical
Sep31Tropical
Oct31Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Rābigh in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rābigh peaks around May 24 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateMay 24UV 11Dec 16UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb9Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr10Very high
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov6High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Rābigh 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 Rābigh is worst in March — around 40 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModerateMar 2339 µg/m³Nov 925 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan39Poor
Feb37Poor
Mar40Poor
Apr39Poor
May32Moderate
Jun28Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug28Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov25Moderate
Dec36Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Rābigh?

Rābigh sits at 22.8°N, 39.0°E, 7 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Thuwal, 58 km away.

JeddahAl JumūmMeccaYanbuMedina

Topography around Rābigh

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Rābigh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,716 m.

The land around Rābigh is covered by bare terrain (59%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 3 km, bare terrain (72%) and water (24%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (70%) and water (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
16 m
16 km
164 m
80 km
1,716 m
treesshrubscroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Thuwal 58 km · Khulayş 77 km · Badr Ḩunayn 112 km · Jeddah 146 km · Al Jumūm 148 km · Mecca 173 km · Yanbu 175 km · Medina 195 km

Saudi Arabia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$34,537
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2019
Road deaths
35.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 404

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 Rābigh (22.7986°, 39.0349°, 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. 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).