Vredendal weather in December

In December, Vredendal sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 7 mm of rain across 1.9 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of December to 14 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Vredendal's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Vredendal's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
4th warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
7 mm
1.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:40 AM – 7:44 PM
Cloud cover
22%
4th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
8.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

Vredendal is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

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 28°C through the month.

A typical December day in Vredendal reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 33°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)
12715
22715
32715
42715
52815
62815
72815
82815
92815
102815
112815
122815
132815
142815
152815
162815
172815
182815
192815
202815
212816
222816
232816
242816
252816
262816
272816
282816
292816
302816
312816

Vredendal weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 16°71.513.87.4
Feb29° / 17°4113.27.3
Mar28° / 16°101.712.27.9
Apr26° / 13°152.511.28.4
May23° / 11°244.510.48.1
Jun20° / 386.2107.2
Jul20° / 355.510.17.4
Aug20° / 275.610.87.4
Sep22° / 10°173.411.88.0
Oct25° / 12°132.712.88.5
Nov26° / 14°102.413.68.5
Dec28° / 15°71.9148.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 10%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28713
38713
48713
58812
68812
78812
88812
98812
108812
118812
128911
138911
148911
158911
169010
179010
189010
19919
20919
21928
22928
23937
24946
25946
26946
27946
28946
29946
30946
31946

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Vredendal gets around 7 mm of rain over 1.9 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 6% and peaks near 8% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
24
34
44
54
64
75
85
95
105
115
125
136
146
156
166
177
187
197
207
218
227
237
247
257
267
277
286
296
306
316

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

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
169301
267312
365332
463352
561363
659374
757394
856395
955405
1053416
1153416
1251427
1350428
1449438
1548438
1647449
1746449
18464510
19454510
20444610
21444610
22434711
23424711
24414811
25404911
26394912
27385012
28375112
29375013
30365113
31365113

Wind in December

Winds average 13 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of December to 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:38 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 7:33 PM to 7:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.95:387:33
213.95:387:34
313.95:387:35
414.05:387:36
514.05:387:36
614.05:387:37
714.05:387:38
814.05:397:39
914.05:397:39
1014.05:397:40
1114.05:397:41
1214.05:397:41
1314.05:407:42
1414.05:407:43
1514.15:407:43
1614.15:407:44
1714.15:417:44
1814.15:417:45
1914.15:427:46
2014.15:427:46
2114.15:427:47
2214.15:437:47
2314.15:437:47
2414.15:447:48
2514.15:447:48
2614.15:457:49
2714.15:467:49
2814.15:467:49
2914.15:477:50
3014.05:477:50
3114.05:487:50

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 8.46 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.88 kWh/m² to a high of 8.46 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 8.46 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.4Intense
28.4Intense
38.4Intense
48.4Intense
58.5Intense
68.5Intense
78.5Intense
88.5Intense
98.5Intense
108.5Intense
118.5Intense
128.5Intense
138.5Intense
148.5Intense
158.5Intense
168.5Intense
178.5Intense
188.5Intense
198.5Intense
208.5Intense
218.5Intense
228.5Intense
238.5Intense
248.5Intense
258.5Intense
268.5Intense
278.5Intense
288.5Intense
298.5Intense
308.5Intense
318.5Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Vredendal?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.7
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Vredendal in December

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

In December, Vredendal sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Vredendal in December

The nearest coast averages about 17°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 36 km away) is warmest in February at about 17°C and coldest in July near 13°C.

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

12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr15Cool
May15Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct15Bracing
Nov16Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in Vredendal 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 Vredendal peaks around January 16 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighExtremeJan 16UV 14Jun 17UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr7High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Vredendal?

Vredendal sits at 31.7°S, 18.5°E, 36 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Vredenburg, 146 km away.

SaldanhaMoorreesburgMalmesburyCeresAtlantisWellingtonPaarl

Topography around Vredendal

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Vredendal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 94 m around an average of 33 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 367 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,591 m.

The land around Vredendal is covered by cropland (38%) and shrubs (33%) within 3 km, shrubs (47%) and cropland (32%) within 16 km, and shrubs (46%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
94 m
16 km
367 m
80 km
1,591 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Vredenburg 146 km · Saldanha 158 km · Moorreesburg 166 km · Malmesbury 200 km · Ceres 204 km · Atlantis 211 km · Wellington 224 km · Paarl 234 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 Vredendal (-31.6683°, 18.5012°, elevation 36 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).