Kokstad weather in December

In December, Kokstad sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 142 mm of rain across 20.9 wet days and about 13.9 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of December to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kokstad's 12th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kokstad's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
13°
10th coldest
Rainfall
142 mm
20.9 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:00 AM – 6:57 PM
Cloud cover
71%
12th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
6.02 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Kokstad is place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Density
1,197/km²
people per km²
Founded
1869

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 24°C through the month.

A typical December day in Kokstad reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12312
22312
32312
42312
52312
62312
72312
82312
92312
102312
112312
122312
132313
142313
152313
162413
172413
182413
192413
202413
212413
222413
232413
242413
252413
262413
272414
282414
292414
302414
312414

How December really feels in Kokstad

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.

Kokstad weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 14°14019.513.85.4
Feb24° / 14°12316.413.15.6
Mar23° / 13°1071612.26.0
Apr21° / 10°589.811.36.7
May20° / 24510.57.5
Jun18° / 223.410.17.3
Jul18° / 223.110.27.3
Aug19° / 335.610.97.3
Sep21° / 498.611.86.9
Oct22° / 9416.112.75.7
Nov22° / 11°11918.413.55.2
Dec24° / 13°14220.913.95.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23070
32971
42971
52971
62971
72971
82872
92971
102971
112971
122971
133070
143169
153169
163268
173268
183367
193367
203367
213466
223367
233367
243466
253466
263466
273565
283565
293565
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kokstad gets around 142 mm of rain over 20.9 wet days in December, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 67% and peaks near 68% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
166
266
366
467
567
667
767
867
967
1067
1167
1267
1367
1466
1566
1666
1766
1866
1966
2067
2167
2267
2367
2468
2568
2668
2768
2867
2967
3067
3166

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 49% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1593830
2573940
3564040
4554140
5534250
6524350
7504550
8494660
9474760
10464860
11444970
12435070
13425080
14405190
153951100
163753100
173653110
183454120
193354130
203154150
213054160
222953171
232753191
242653201
252453221
262353231
272252251
282251261
292151271
302051281
312050291

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of December to 13 h 54 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 4:57 AM to 5:07 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 7:04 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.84:576:47
213.84:576:48
313.94:576:49
413.94:576:49
513.94:576:50
613.94:576:51
713.94:576:52
813.94:586:52
913.94:586:53
1013.94:586:54
1113.94:586:54
1213.94:586:55
1313.94:596:56
1414.04:596:56
1514.04:596:57
1614.05:006:57
1714.05:006:58
1814.05:006:59
1914.05:016:59
2014.05:017:00
2114.05:027:00
2214.05:027:01
2314.05:027:01
2414.05:037:01
2514.05:037:02
2614.05:047:02
2714.05:057:03
2814.05:057:03
2914.05:067:03
3014.05:067:04
3113.95:077:04

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.02 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.34 kWh/m² to a high of 6.02 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 6.02 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Bright
146.0Bright
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.1Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kokstad

In seasonPeak

In December, Kokstad sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Kokstad's rainy season runs October–March, 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 Kokstad?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Kokstad for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kokstad in December

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

In December, Kokstad sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 21 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Kokstad 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 Kokstad peaks around January 14 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighExtremeJan 14UV 14Jun 23UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr7High
May6High
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep7High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Kokstad 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 Kokstad is worst in July — around 32 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.3× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 2332 µg/m³Jan 118 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Good
Apr15Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun26Moderate
Jul32Moderate
Aug32Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Kokstad?

Kokstad sits at 30.5°S, 29.4°E, 1,316 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Clydesdale, 56 km away.

Topography around Kokstad

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kokstad has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 297 m around an average of 1,308 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,197 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,504 m.

The land around Kokstad is covered by grassland (53%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 3 km, grassland (75%) within 16 km, and grassland (71%) within 80 km.

3 km
297 m
16 km
1,197 m
80 km
2,504 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
December weather nearby: Clydesdale 56 km · Qacha’s Nek 85 km · Tlokoeng 89 km · Ga-Malakhe 92 km · Margate 97 km · Port Shepstone 101 km · Richmond 111 km · eMuziwezinto 122 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 Kokstad (-30.5472°, 29.4241°, elevation 1,316 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. 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).