Worcester weather in December

In December, Worcester sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 24 mm of rain across 5 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 26°C in the first days to 28°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% 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 Worcester's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Worcester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
14°
9th coldest
Rainfall
24 mm
5 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:32 AM – 7:45 PM
Cloud cover
34%
4th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
8.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Worcester is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
1,743/km²
people per km²
Founded
1819

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 26°C in the first days to 28°C by the end.

A typical December day in Worcester reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12613
22613
32613
42713
52713
62714
72714
82714
92714
102714
112714
122714
132714
142714
152714
162714
172714
182814
192814
202814
212815
222815
232815
242815
252815
262815
272815
282815
292815
302815
312815

Worcester weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 15°245.2146.8
Feb29° / 16°21513.36.7
Mar27° / 14°286.212.37.5
Apr23° / 12°335.611.27.8
May20° / 396.210.37.0
Jun17° / 608.29.85.6
Jul16° / 598.1105.4
Aug17° / 518.510.85.7
Sep19° / 356.511.86.7
Oct22° / 10°36612.87.6
Nov25° / 12°356.113.77.8
Dec27° / 14°24514.27.6

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 25%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27426
37426
47426
57327
67228
77228
87228
97228
107228
117228
127228
137228
147228
157327
167327
177327
187426
197525
207525
217624
227723
237723
247921
257921
268020
278119
288218
298218
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Worcester gets around 24 mm of rain over 5 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 16% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
116
216
316
415
515
615
715
815
915
1015
1115
1215
1315
1415
1515
1616
1716
1816
1917
2017
2117
2217
2318
2418
2518
2618
2718
2819
2919
3019
3119

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 79% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
189110
288120
388120
487130
585141
685141
784151
884151
983161
1082162
1182162
1281172
1381172
1481172
1581172
1680182
1779183
1878193
1978193
2077203
2176213
2276222
2376222
2475232
2574242
2672253
2771263
2871263
2970273
3070273
3170273

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 5:30 AM to 5:39 AM, and sunset from 7:34 PM to 7:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.15:307:34
214.15:307:35
314.15:307:36
414.15:307:37
514.15:307:37
614.15:307:38
714.25:307:39
814.25:307:40
914.25:307:40
1014.25:307:41
1114.25:307:42
1214.25:317:42
1314.25:317:43
1414.25:317:44
1514.25:317:44
1614.25:327:45
1714.25:327:46
1814.25:327:46
1914.25:337:47
2014.25:337:47
2114.25:347:48
2214.25:347:48
2314.25:357:49
2414.25:357:49
2514.25:367:50
2614.25:367:50
2714.25:377:50
2814.25:377:51
2914.25:387:51
3014.25:397:51
3114.25:397:52

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 8.03 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.54 kWh/m² to a high of 8.03 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 8.03 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
18.0Intense
28.0Intense
38.0Intense
48.0Intense
58.0Intense
68.0Intense
78.0Intense
88.0Intense
98.0Intense
108.0Intense
118.0Intense
128.0Intense
138.0Intense
148.0Intense
158.0Intense
168.0Intense
178.0Intense
188.0Intense
198.1Intense
208.1Intense
218.1Intense
228.1Intense
238.1Intense
248.1Intense
258.1Intense
268.1Intense
278.1Intense
288.1Intense
298.1Intense
308.1Intense
318.1Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Worcester?

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

7.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Worcester in December

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

In December, Worcester sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 14°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Worcester 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 Worcester peaks around January 14 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 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 14UV 14Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb10Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Worcester 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 Worcester is worst in June — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateGoodJun 2141 µg/m³Dec 1211 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr29Moderate
May38Poor
Jun41Poor
Jul40Poor
Aug36Poor
Sep28Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Worcester?

Worcester sits at 33.6°S, 19.4°E, 234 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ceres, 33 km away.

Topography around Worcester

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Worcester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 172 m around an average of 238 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,796 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,250 m.

The land around Worcester is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, shrubs (41%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (42%), shrubs (27%) and cropland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
172 m
16 km
1,796 m
80 km
2,250 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Ceres 33 km · Wellington 40 km · Le Roux 42 km · Franschhoek 42 km · Robertson 44 km · Paarl 45 km · Ashton 60 km · Stellenbosch 63 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 Worcester (-33.6465°, 19.4485°, elevation 234 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).