Mdantsane weather in December

In December, Mdantsane sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 76 mm of rain across 11.4 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Mdantsane's 12th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mdantsane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
4th warmest
Overnight low
18°
9th coldest
Rainfall
76 mm
11.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:00 AM – 7:10 PM
Cloud cover
62%
12th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
6.25 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.7
out of 10

Mdantsane is township.

Founded
1940

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 25°C by the end.

A typical December day in Mdantsane reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 28°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°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12317
22417
32417
42417
52417
62417
72417
82417
92418
102418
112418
122418
132418
142418
152418
162418
172518
182518
192518
202518
212518
222518
232518
242519
252519
262519
272519
282519
292519
302519
312519

Mdantsane weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 19°7611.113.96.5
Feb26° / 20°8010.513.26.4
Mar25° / 19°8211.512.36.7
Apr24° / 17°738.211.27.4
May23° / 15°254.610.38.0
Jun21° / 12°253.59.98.0
Jul21° / 12°284.1107.9
Aug21° / 12°38610.87.5
Sep21° / 13°496.711.87.1
Oct22° / 15°651012.86.7
Nov23° / 16°7710.713.76.6
Dec24° / 18°7611.414.16.7

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% 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 57%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14258
24258
34159
44159
54060
64060
74060
84060
94060
104159
114258
124258
134258
144357
154357
164357
174456
184456
194555
204555
214555
224555
234555
244555
254654
264555
274555
284555
294555
304555
314456

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Mdantsane gets around 76 mm of rain over 11.4 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 36% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
234
334
434
534
635
735
835
935
1035
1135
1236
1336
1436
1536
1636
1737
1837
1937
2038
2138
2238
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2838
2938
3037
3137

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 41% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 27% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1173336131
2163237141
3153138151
4143139161
5133040171
6122940171
7122841181
8112842191
9102742201
10102642201
11102643211
1292543221
1392543231
1482443231
1582443241
1682342251
1782342261
1872242262
1972242272
2072142282
2172042292
2262042293
2361942303
2461842313
2561741323
2651741334
2751641344
2851640344
2951540355
3051539365
3151539366

Wind in December

Winds average 15 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light 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 4:58 AM to 5:08 AM, and sunset from 6:59 PM to 7:16 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.04:586:59
214.04:587:00
314.04:587:01
414.14:587:02
514.14:587:02
614.14:587:03
714.14:587:04
814.14:587:05
914.14:597:05
1014.14:597:06
1114.14:597:07
1214.14:597:07
1314.14:597:08
1414.25:007:09
1514.25:007:09
1614.25:007:10
1714.25:017:10
1814.25:017:11
1914.25:017:12
2014.25:027:12
2114.25:027:13
2214.25:037:13
2314.25:037:14
2414.25:047:14
2514.25:047:14
2614.25:057:15
2714.25:057:15
2814.25:067:16
2914.25:067:16
3014.25:077:16
3114.15:087:16

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.25 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.87 kWh/m² to a high of 6.25 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 6.25 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.3Intense
136.3Intense
146.3Intense
156.3Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Mdantsane?

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

6.7
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Mdantsane for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mdantsane in December

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

In December, Mdantsane sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Mdantsane in December

The nearest coast averages about 23°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 23 km away) is warmest in February at about 25°C and coldest in August near 20°C.

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

18°20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan24Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr24Warm
May23Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug20Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov22Refreshing
Dec23Refreshing

UV index in Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Mdantsane 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 Mdantsane is worst in August — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (February, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1520 µg/m³Feb 98 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct12Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mdantsane?

Mdantsane sits at 32.9°S, 27.8°E, 278 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is East London, 16 km away.

Topography around Mdantsane

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mdantsane has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 182 m around an average of 257 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 521 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,921 m.

The land around Mdantsane is covered by trees (44%), artificial surfaces (25%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, trees (53%) and grassland (31%) within 16 km, and grassland (36%), water (28%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
182 m
16 km
521 m
80 km
1,921 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: East London 16 km · Gonubie 22 km · Ndevana 25 km · Bhisho 33 km · Qonce 36 km · Stutterheim 52 km · Dimbaza 53 km · Butterworth 76 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 Mdantsane (-32.9332°, 27.7766°, elevation 278 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).