Oudtshoorn weather in December

In December, Oudtshoorn sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 31 mm of rain across 6.1 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 29°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% 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 Oudtshoorn's 7th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Oudtshoorn's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
14°
9th coldest
Rainfall
31 mm
6.1 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:21 AM – 7:34 PM
Cloud cover
39%
7th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
7.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Oudtshoorn is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
1,960/km²
people per km²
Founded
1857

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 27°C in the first days to 29°C by the end.

A typical December day in Oudtshoorn reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12713
22713
32713
42714
52714
62714
72814
82814
92814
102814
112814
122814
132814
142814
152814
162815
172815
182815
192815
202815
212815
222815
232915
242915
252915
262915
272915
282915
292915
302915
312915

Oudtshoorn weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 16°306.2146.2
Feb29° / 16°275.613.26.1
Mar28° / 15°386.912.37.0
Apr24° / 12°346.211.27.7
May21° / 254.710.37.6
Jun18° / 2459.87.0
Jul18° / 265.4106.9
Aug19° / 336.110.87.0
Sep21° / 275.211.87.5
Oct24° / 11°416.512.87.7
Nov26° / 12°487.113.77.4
Dec28° / 14°316.114.26.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17030
27129
37129
47129
57030
67030
77030
86931
96931
106931
116931
126931
136931
146931
156931
167030
177030
187030
197030
207129
217129
227228
237327
247327
257327
267426
277525
287624
297624
307624
317624

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Oudtshoorn gets around 31 mm of rain over 6.1 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 20% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
120
219
319
419
519
619
719
819
919
1019
1119
1219
1319
1419
1519
1619
1719
1820
1920
2020
2120
2220
2320
2420
2521
2621
2721
2821
2921
3021
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 67% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1821710
2811810
3792010
4772120
5762220
6762220
7742330
8732430
9732430
10722440
11712540
12712540
13692650
14692650
15692650
16682660
17672760
18672760
19652870
20642970
21633070
22623170
23613270
24603280
25593380
26583480
27563590
28563590
295436100
305336101
315336101

Wind in December

Winds average 9 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

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 5:19 AM to 5:28 AM, and sunset from 7:23 PM to 7:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:197:23
214.15:197:24
314.15:197:25
414.15:197:25
514.15:197:26
614.15:197:27
714.15:197:28
814.25:197:29
914.25:197:29
1014.25:197:30
1114.25:197:31
1214.25:207:31
1314.25:207:32
1414.25:207:33
1514.25:207:33
1614.25:217:34
1714.25:217:35
1814.25:227:35
1914.25:227:36
2014.25:227:36
2114.25:237:37
2214.25:237:37
2314.25:247:38
2414.25:247:38
2514.25:257:38
2614.25:257:39
2714.25:267:39
2814.25:267:40
2914.25:277:40
3014.25:287:40
3114.25:287:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.85 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.78 kWh/m² to a high of 7.85 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.85 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.7Intense
27.8Intense
37.8Intense
47.8Intense
57.8Intense
67.8Intense
77.8Intense
87.8Intense
97.8Intense
107.8Intense
117.8Intense
127.9Intense
137.9Intense
147.9Intense
157.9Intense
167.9Intense
177.9Intense
187.9Intense
197.9Intense
207.9Intense
217.9Intense
227.9Intense
237.9Intense
247.9Intense
257.9Intense
267.9Intense
277.9Intense
287.8Intense
297.8Intense
307.8Intense
317.8Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Oudtshoorn?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Oudtshoorn in December

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

In December, Oudtshoorn sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 14°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Oudtshoorn 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 61 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 13 to Mar 19 — about 3.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr18Cool
May17Cool
Jun17Cool
Jul16Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Oudtshoorn 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 Oudtshoorn peaks around January 15 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 highModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Oudtshoorn?

Oudtshoorn sits at 33.6°S, 22.2°E, 319 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Dysselsdorp, 23 km away.

Topography around Oudtshoorn

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Oudtshoorn has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 145 m around an average of 330 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 723 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,272 m.

The land around Oudtshoorn is covered by shrubs (35%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, shrubs (63%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and shrubs (35%) and grassland (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
145 m
16 km
723 m
80 km
2,272 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Dysselsdorp 23 km · George 47 km · Groot-Brakrivier 49 km · Mossel Bay 65 km · Knysna 92 km · Riversdale 103 km · Plettenberg Bay 119 km · Beaufort West 143 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 Oudtshoorn (-33.6005°, 22.1995°, elevation 319 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).