Basotu weather in December

In December, Basotu sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 273 mm of rain across 18.5 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Basotu's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Basotu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
5th warmest
Overnight low
16°
11th coldest
Rainfall
273 mm
18.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:28 AM – 6:43 PM
Cloud cover
67%
11th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Basotu reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and on par with January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12716
22616
32616
42616
52616
62616
72616
82616
92616
102616
112616
122616
132616
142616
152616
162616
172616
182516
192516
202516
212516
222516
232516
242516
252516
262516
272516
282516
292516
302516
312516

Basotu weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 5th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 16°23318.512.25.4
Feb26° / 16°17014.812.15.6
Mar26° / 16°23818.8125.4
Apr25° / 16°16814.911.96.0
May25° / 15°34611.87.7
Jun25° / 14°51.111.88.3
Jul24° / 13°10.211.88.6
Aug25° / 13°20.311.98.4
Sep27° / 14°30.7128.1
Oct28° / 16°203.112.17.4
Nov27° / 16°11910.512.26.3
Dec26° / 16°27318.512.25.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14555
24555
34555
44456
54456
64357
74357
84258
94258
104159
114060
124060
133862
143862
153763
163664
173664
183565
193565
203565
213565
223565
233565
243565
253565
263664
273664
283664
293664
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Basotu gets around 273 mm of rain over 18.5 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 60% and peaks near 63% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
150
251
352
454
555
656
757
858
959
1060
1161
1262
1362
1463
1563
1663
1763
1863
1963
2063
2162
2262
2362
2462
2561
2661
2761
2861
2961
3061
3162

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the comfortable band about 38% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1373825
2363826
3353827
4343828
5333829
6323830
7313832
8293833
9283834
10273835
11263836
12253837
13243838
14233839
15233839
16223840
17223840
18223840
19223840
20223840
21223840
22223840
23223840
24223840
25223840
26223840
27223840
28223840
29223840
30223840
31223840

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of December to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:22 AM to 6:35 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 6:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:226:36
212.26:236:37
312.26:236:37
412.26:236:38
512.26:246:38
612.26:246:39
712.26:256:39
812.26:256:40
912.26:256:40
1012.26:266:41
1112.26:266:41
1212.26:276:41
1312.26:276:42
1412.36:276:42
1512.36:286:43
1612.36:286:43
1712.36:296:44
1812.36:296:44
1912.36:306:45
2012.36:306:45
2112.36:316:46
2212.36:316:46
2312.36:326:47
2412.36:326:47
2512.36:326:48
2612.36:336:48
2712.36:336:49
2812.36:346:49
2912.36:346:49
3012.36:356:50
3112.26:356:50

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.74 kWh/m² to a high of 7.16 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 6.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Basotu

In seasonPeak

In December, Basotu sits inside its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Basotu sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Basotu's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Basotu?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.1
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Basotu for sightseeing.

What to pack for Basotu in December

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

In December, Basotu sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 16°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 19 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Basotu in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Basotu peaks around March 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 14UV 16Jun 17UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Basotu?

Basotu sits at 4.4°S, 35.1°E, 1,609 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Mtinko, 33 km away.

Topography around Basotu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Basotu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 1,618 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 274 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,357 m.

The land around Basotu is covered by water (35%) and cropland (32%) within 3 km, cropland (59%) within 16 km, and cropland (42%) and shrubs (28%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
274 m
80 km
2,357 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Mtinko 33 km · Katesh 38 km · Bashanet 40 km · Ilongero 41 km · Nangwa 42 km · Dongobesh 47 km · Dareda 54 km · Igugunu 55 km

Tanzania travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,319
2025
Happiness
3.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
31%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
3.7
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
31.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 479
Religion
Christian 63%Muslim 34%folk religion 1%

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 Basotu (-4.3667°, 35.0833°, elevation 1,609 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).