Franschhoek weather in December

In December, Franschhoek sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 28 mm of rain across 5.3 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Franschhoek's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Franschhoek's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
4th warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
28 mm
5.3 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:32 AM – 7:47 PM
Cloud cover
35%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
8.01 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Franschhoek is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
2,837/km²
people per km²
Founded
1688

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 24°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical December day in Franschhoek reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12413
22414
32514
42514
52514
62514
72514
82514
92514
102514
112514
122514
132515
142515
152515
162515
172515
182515
192615
202615
212615
222615
232615
242615
252615
262615
272615
282615
292615
302615
312615

Franschhoek weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 16°254.3148.0
Feb27° / 16°21413.37.9
Mar26° / 15°254.512.38.1
Apr23° / 12°576.111.27.7
May20° / 10°848.910.36.6
Jun17° / 126119.85.3
Jul16° / 1139.9105.3
Aug16° / 9611.110.75.3
Sep18° / 678.711.86.2
Oct21° / 11°497.512.97.0
Nov23° / 12°476.613.87.6
Dec25° / 15°285.314.28.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27624
37624
47624
57624
67624
77525
87525
97525
107525
117525
127426
137426
147525
157426
167426
177426
187426
197426
207426
217426
227426
237624
247624
257624
267822
277822
287921
298020
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Franschhoek gets around 28 mm of rain over 5.3 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 17% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
215
314
414
514
615
715
815
916
1016
1116
1217
1317
1417
1518
1618
1718
1818
1919
2019
2119
2218
2318
2418
2517
2617
2716
2816
2916
3016
3115

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 51% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
168302
266313
364333
463343
561354
660364
758375
857385
955396
1055396
1154406
1253407
1352417
1452417
1551418
1650428
1750428
1849429
1948439
2048439
2147449
2246449
23454510
24444610
25434610
26424711
27414711
28404812
29394813
30394813
31394713

Wind in December

Winds average 11 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 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 5:30 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:36 PM to 7:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:307:36
214.15:307:37
314.15:307:38
414.15:307:39
514.15:307:39
614.25:307:40
714.25:307:41
814.25:317:42
914.25:317:42
1014.25:317:43
1114.25:317:44
1214.25:317:44
1314.25:317:45
1414.25:327:46
1514.25:327:46
1614.25:327:47
1714.25:337:48
1814.35:337:48
1914.35:337:49
2014.35:347:49
2114.35:347:50
2214.35:357:50
2314.35:357:51
2414.35:367:51
2514.35:367:52
2614.35:377:52
2714.25:377:52
2814.25:387:53
2914.25:397:53
3014.25:397:53
3114.25:407:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 8.01 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.46 kWh/m² to a high of 8.02 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 8.01 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.9Intense
27.9Intense
38.0Intense
48.0Intense
58.0Intense
68.0Intense
78.0Intense
88.0Intense
98.0Intense
108.0Intense
118.0Intense
128.0Intense
138.0Intense
148.0Intense
158.0Intense
168.0Intense
178.0Intense
188.0Intense
198.0Intense
208.0Intense
218.0Intense
228.1Intense
238.1Intense
248.1Intense
258.1Intense
268.1Intense
278.1Intense
288.1Intense
298.1Intense
308.1Intense
318.1Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Franschhoek

In seasonPeak

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

Franschhoek's rainy season runs April–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Franschhoek?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Franschhoek in December

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

In December, Franschhoek sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothes

Sea temperature near Franschhoek in December

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 33 km away) is warmest in January at about 19°C and coldest in July near 15°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Franschhoek in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Franschhoek peaks around January 13 at about 13 (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 — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Franschhoek 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 Franschhoek is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 2152 µg/m³Dec 1516 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar28Moderate
Apr41Poor
May52Poor
Jun50Poor
Jul47Poor
Aug41Poor
Sep33Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Franschhoek?

Franschhoek sits at 33.9°S, 19.1°E, 273 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Le Roux, 3.0 km away.

Topography around Franschhoek

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Franschhoek has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 809 m around an average of 373 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,676 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,254 m.

The land around Franschhoek is covered by trees (31%), grassland (25%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, grassland (57%) and shrubs (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (32%) and cropland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
809 m
16 km
1,676 m
80 km
2,254 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Le Roux 3.0 km · Stellenbosch 23 km · Paarl 24 km · Grabouw 28 km · Wellington 32 km · Somerset West 34 km · Kraaifontein 38 km · Kuils River 38 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 Franschhoek (-33.9108°, 19.1198°, elevation 273 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).