Tarifa weather in December

In December, Tarifa sees average daytime highs of 16°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 103 mm of rain across 10.4 wet days and about 9.6 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 16°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Tarifa's 12th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tarifa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
16°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
4th coldest
Rainfall
103 mm
10.4 wet days
Daylight
9 h 36 min
8:32 AM – 6:06 PM
Cloud cover
54%
12th clearest
Wind
19 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
2.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Tarifa is capital town of the municipality of Tarifa, Spain.

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 16°C through the month.

A typical December day in Tarifa reaches about 16°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 18°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11713
21713
31713
41613
51613
61613
71613
81613
91613
101613
111613
121613
131613
141613
151613
161613
171613
181613
191613
201613
211613
221613
231613
241613
251613
261613
271613
281612
291612
301612
311612

Tarifa weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan15° / 12°858.99.84.9
Feb16° / 12°758.110.65.0
Mar17° / 13°728.611.75.7
Apr18° / 14°517.112.96.6
May21° / 16°264.713.97.6
Jun23° / 18°50.914.49.1
Jul26° / 20°10.114.29.2
Aug26° / 21°30.613.48.9
Sep24° / 20°323.712.28.4
Oct21° / 17°757.911.17.0
Nov18° / 15°918.710.16.2
Dec16° / 13°10310.49.65.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25743
35743
45743
55743
65743
75743
85644
95644
105644
115545
125545
135545
145446
155347
165347
175347
185347
195347
205248
215248
225248
235248
245347
255446
265446
275446
285545
295644
305644
315644

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Tarifa gets around 103 mm of rain over 10.4 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 33% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
333
433
533
634
734
834
933
1033
1133
1233
1333
1433
1533
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2133
2233
2333
2433
2532
2632
2731
2831
2930
3030
3129

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 80% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
173261
274251
375241
476231
576231
677221
777221
877221
978211
1078211
1178211
1279201
1379201
1480191
1580191
1679192
1780182
1880182
1980182
2081172
2181172
2282162
2382162
2482162
2583152
2683152
2783152
2884142
2984142
3085132
3186131

Wind in December

Winds average 19 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 42 min at the start of December to 9 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:20 AM to 8:38 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.78:206:04
29.78:216:04
39.78:226:04
49.78:236:04
59.78:246:04
69.78:246:04
79.68:256:04
89.68:266:04
99.68:276:04
109.68:286:04
119.68:286:04
129.68:296:05
139.68:306:05
149.68:306:05
159.68:316:05
169.68:326:06
179.68:326:06
189.68:336:06
199.68:336:07
209.68:346:07
219.68:346:07
229.68:356:08
239.68:356:08
249.68:366:09
259.68:366:09
269.68:376:10
279.68:376:11
289.68:376:11
299.68:386:12
309.68:386:12
319.68:386:13

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.35 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.35 kWh/m² to a high of 7.75 kWh/m² in July across the year — December's 2.35 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.5Moderate
22.5Moderate
32.5Moderate
42.5Moderate
52.5Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.4Moderate
132.4Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.3Moderate
202.3Moderate
212.3Moderate
222.3Moderate
232.3Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.3Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.4Moderate
302.4Moderate
312.4Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Tarifa

In seasonPeak

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

Tarifa's rainy season runs October–April, 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 Tarifa?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.8
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Tarifa for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tarifa in December

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

In December, Tarifa sees daytime highs around 16°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Tarifa in December

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 16 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in March near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 24 to Oct 18 — about 3.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.

14°16°18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr17Cool
May18Cool
Jun20Cool
Jul21Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct20Refreshing
Nov19Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Tarifa in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Tarifa peaks around July 17 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highHighModerateJul 17UV 10Dec 21UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar7High
Apr9Very high
May8Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct6High
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Tarifa 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 Tarifa is worst in March — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (June, 10 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateGoodMar 1616 µg/m³Jun 1410 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May12Good
Jun10Good
Jul13Moderate
Aug13Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Tarifa?

Tarifa sits at 36.0°N, 5.6°W, 22 m above sea level, in Spain. The nearest listed city is Algeciras, 19 km away.

Topography around Tarifa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tarifa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 159 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 826 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,904 m.

The land around Tarifa is covered by water (59%) and grassland (29%) within 3 km, water (64%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and water (47%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
159 m
16 km
826 m
80 km
1,904 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Algeciras 19 km · Los Barrios 22 km · Gibraltar 27 km · La Línea de la Concepción 29 km · Fnidek 29 km · Ceuta 29 km · San Roque 30 km · Tangier 32 km

Spain travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$38,627
2025
Happiness
6.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 540
Religion
Roman Catholic 58%atheist 16%agnostic 11%non-believer 11%

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 Tarifa (36.0139°, -5.607°, elevation 22 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).