Beaufort West weather in December

In December, Beaufort West sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 42 mm of rain across 5.7 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 30°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 hours at the start of December to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Beaufort West's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Beaufort West's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
14°
10th coldest
Rainfall
42 mm
5.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:22 AM – 7:29 PM
Cloud cover
31%
6th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
8.47 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Beaufort West is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
792/km²
people per km²
Founded
1818

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

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

A typical December day in Beaufort West reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 15°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12813
22813
32813
42813
52814
62814
72814
82814
92914
102914
112914
122914
132914
142914
152914
162914
172914
182915
192915
202915
212915
222915
232915
242915
252915
262915
273015
283015
293015
303015
313015

Beaufort West weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 16°507.413.95.7
Feb30° / 16°497.713.25.8
Mar27° / 14°547.812.27.0
Apr23° / 11°295.611.27.9
May20° / 183.310.47.7
Jun17° / 132.69.96.8
Jul17° / 142.910.16.7
Aug18° / 203.510.87.3
Sep22° / 15311.88.1
Oct24° / 10°294.912.88.1
Nov27° / 12°375.213.77.7
Dec29° / 14°425.714.16.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 20%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17822
27822
37723
47723
57723
67822
77822
87822
97822
107921
117921
127921
138020
148020
158020
168119
178218
188218
198218
208218
218218
228218
238218
248317
258218
268218
278218
288218
298218
308218
318119

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Beaufort West gets around 42 mm of rain over 5.7 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 19% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
317
417
517
617
717
818
918
1018
1118
1218
1318
1418
1518
1619
1719
1819
1919
2019
2119
2220
2320
2420
2520
2620
2720
2820
2920
3020
3121

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 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19631
29631
39631
49541
59640
69640
79550
89550
99460
109460
119460
129370
139370
149280
159181
169091
179091
1889101
1989101
2089101
2187112
2287112
2387112
2487112
2587112
2687112
2786122
2885123
2985123
3085123
3184124

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 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
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
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 hours at the start of December to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:20 AM to 5:30 AM, and sunset from 7:19 PM to 7:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.05:207:19
214.05:207:19
314.05:207:20
414.05:207:21
514.05:207:22
614.05:207:22
714.05:207:23
814.15:217:24
914.15:217:25
1014.15:217:25
1114.15:217:26
1214.15:217:27
1314.15:227:27
1414.15:227:28
1514.15:227:29
1614.15:227:29
1714.15:237:30
1814.15:237:30
1914.15:247:31
2014.15:247:31
2114.15:247:32
2214.15:257:32
2314.15:257:33
2414.15:267:33
2514.15:267:34
2614.15:277:34
2714.15:277:34
2814.15:287:35
2914.15:297:35
3014.15:297:35
3114.15:307:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 8.47 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.06 kWh/m² to a high of 8.47 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 8.47 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.3Intense
28.4Intense
38.4Intense
48.4Intense
58.4Intense
68.4Intense
78.4Intense
88.4Intense
98.4Intense
108.4Intense
118.4Intense
128.4Intense
138.5Intense
148.5Intense
158.5Intense
168.5Intense
178.5Intense
188.5Intense
198.5Intense
208.5Intense
218.5Intense
228.5Intense
238.5Intense
248.5Intense
258.5Intense
268.5Intense
278.5Intense
288.5Intense
298.5Intense
308.4Intense
318.4Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Beaufort West?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
8.1
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Beaufort West in December

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

In December, Beaufort West sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 14°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Beaufort West in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Beaufort West peaks around January 15 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 14Jun 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep7High
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Beaufort West?

Beaufort West sits at 32.4°S, 22.6°E, 849 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Dysselsdorp, 136 km away.

GeorgeGraaff ReinetGroot-BrakrivierKnysnaPlettenberg BayMossel Bay

Topography around Beaufort West

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Beaufort West has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 91 m around an average of 848 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,161 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,424 m.

The land around Beaufort West is covered by bare terrain (40%) and artificial surfaces (26%) within 3 km, grassland (40%), bare terrain (37%) and shrubs (21%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (49%) and grassland (43%) within 80 km.

3 km
91 m
16 km
1,161 m
80 km
1,424 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Dysselsdorp 136 km · Oudtshoorn 143 km · George 179 km · Graaff Reinet 183 km · Groot-Brakrivier 191 km · Knysna 192 km · Plettenberg Bay 202 km · Mossel Bay 207 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 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 Beaufort West (-32.3567°, 22.583°, elevation 849 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. 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).