Kariega weather in December

In December, Kariega sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 45 mm of rain across 8 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.

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 Kariega's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kariega's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
4th warmest
Overnight low
17°
9th coldest
Rainfall
45 mm
8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:08 AM – 7:22 PM
Cloud cover
51%
10th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.11 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Kariega is South African city.

Founded
1804

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 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical December day in Kariega reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12515
22516
32516
42516
52516
62516
72516
82516
92616
102616
112616
122616
132616
142617
152617
162617
172617
182617
192617
202617
212617
222617
232617
242717
252717
262717
272717
282717
292718
302718
312718

Kariega weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 18°407.9146.9
Feb28° / 18°447.813.36.8
Mar27° / 17°477.812.37.1
Apr25° / 15°407.211.27.5
May23° / 12°234.510.38.0
Jun21° / 10°244.19.87.8
Jul21° / 243.9107.9
Aug21° / 10°365.710.77.6
Sep22° / 11°315.511.87.5
Oct23° / 13°48712.87.4
Nov24° / 15°577.813.87.4
Dec26° / 17°45814.27.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15842
25743
35743
45644
55644
65644
75743
85743
95743
105743
115941
125941
135941
146139
156139
166139
176238
186337
196337
206337
216337
226337
236337
246337
256337
266337
276337
286337
296337
306337
316337

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kariega gets around 45 mm of rain over 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 26% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
425
526
626
726
826
926
1026
1126
1226
1326
1426
1526
1626
1726
1825
1925
2025
2125
2226
2326
2426
2526
2626
2726
2826
2926
3027
3127

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the comfortable band about 35% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 12% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
134372450
233372550
332372650
430372760
529372860
628372960
726373070
825373070
925373180
1024373180
1123373190
12223731100
13223731100
14213731110
15213631110
16203631120
17203631130
18203631130
19193632140
20193532140
21183533140
22183433150
23173434150
24173335160
25163335160
26153236160
27153237170
28143137170
29133138170
30133138181
31133038181

Wind in December

Winds average 14 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 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
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light 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 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 5:06 AM to 5:15 AM, and sunset from 7:11 PM to 7:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:067:11
214.15:067:11
314.15:067:12
414.15:067:13
514.15:067:14
614.15:067:15
714.25:067:15
814.25:067:16
914.25:067:17
1014.25:067:18
1114.25:067:18
1214.25:077:19
1314.25:077:20
1414.25:077:20
1514.25:077:21
1614.25:087:22
1714.25:087:22
1814.25:087:23
1914.25:097:23
2014.25:097:24
2114.25:107:24
2214.25:107:25
2314.25:107:25
2414.25:117:26
2514.25:127:26
2614.25:127:26
2714.25:137:27
2814.25:137:27
2914.25:147:27
3014.25:147:28
3114.25:157:28

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.11 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.72 kWh/m² to a high of 7.11 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.11 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
47.0Intense
57.0Intense
67.0Intense
77.0Intense
87.1Intense
97.1Intense
107.1Intense
117.1Intense
127.1Intense
137.1Intense
147.1Intense
157.2Intense
167.2Intense
177.2Intense
187.2Intense
197.2Intense
207.2Intense
217.2Intense
227.2Intense
237.2Intense
247.2Intense
257.2Intense
267.1Intense
277.1Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Kariega?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Kariega in December

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

In December, Kariega sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 17°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Kariega in December

The nearest coast averages about 20°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 25 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 26 to Mar 29 — about 3.1 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr20Cool
May19Cool
Jun18Cool
Jul17Cool
Aug17Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct18Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Cool

UV index in Kariega 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 Kariega peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Kariega 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 Kariega is worst in June — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 1621 µg/m³Jan 249 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr14Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug19Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kariega?

Kariega sits at 33.8°S, 25.4°E, 122 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Port Elizabeth, 30 km away.

Fort Beaufort

Topography around Kariega

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kariega has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 m around an average of 86 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 946 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,658 m.

The land around Kariega is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (47%) and grassland (33%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and water (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
151 m
16 km
946 m
80 km
1,658 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Port Elizabeth 30 km · Jeffreys Bay 55 km · Humansdorp 66 km · Kruisfontein 68 km · Somerset East 116 km · Grahamstown 116 km · Port Alfred 138 km · Fort Beaufort 158 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 Kariega (-33.7556°, 25.4007°, elevation 122 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).