Mtwara weather in December

In December, Mtwara sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 123 mm of rain across 20.9 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 4th-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 45% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Mtwara's 8th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mtwara's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
6th warmest
Overnight low
26°
10th coldest
Rainfall
123 mm
20.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:58 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
50%
8th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
6.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Mtwara is city.

Founded
1971

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 Mtwara reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs on par with November and on par with January.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12726
22726
32726
42726
52726
62726
72726
82726
92726
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262826
272826
282826
292826
302826
312826

How December really feels in Mtwara

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Mtwara weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 26°18620.512.54.8
Feb28° / 26°14518.412.34.7
Mar28° / 26°18223.812.14.1
Apr28° / 25°11518.511.84.8
May28° / 25°387.211.56.9
Jun27° / 23°81.811.48.1
Jul26° / 23°51.311.58.4
Aug26° / 23°61.611.78.6
Sep26° / 23°103.211.98.5
Oct26° / 24°20612.27.9
Nov27° / 25°4210.712.56.8
Dec28° / 26°12320.912.65.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 38%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27525
37426
47327
57327
67228
77228
87030
97030
106931
116832
126733
136535
146436
156337
166238
176040
185941
195842
205743
215644
225545
235446
245347
255248
265149
275050
284951
294951
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Mtwara gets around 123 mm of rain over 20.9 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 66% and peaks near 72% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
155
257
358
459
560
661
762
863
963
1064
1165
1266
1367
1467
1568
1668
1769
1869
1969
2069
2170
2270
2371
2471
2571
2672
2772
2872
2971
3071
3171

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 71% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
118514
218514
318415
408515
508416
608317
708218
808119
907921
1007822
1107723
1207525
1307426
1407327
1507129
1607030
1706931
1806832
1906733
2006535
2106436
2206337
2306238
2406139
2506139
2606040
2705941
2805842
2905842
3005842
3105743

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 36 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 5:52 AM to 6:05 AM, and sunset from 6:26 PM to 6:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:526:26
212.65:536:26
312.65:536:27
412.65:536:27
512.65:536:28
612.65:546:28
712.65:546:29
812.65:546:29
912.65:556:30
1012.65:556:30
1112.65:556:31
1212.65:566:31
1312.65:566:32
1412.65:576:32
1512.65:576:33
1612.65:586:33
1712.65:586:34
1812.65:586:34
1912.65:596:35
2012.65:596:35
2112.66:006:36
2212.66:006:36
2312.66:016:37
2412.66:016:37
2512.66:026:38
2612.66:026:38
2712.66:036:39
2812.66:036:39
2912.66:046:39
3012.66:046:40
3112.66:056:40

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.36 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.9 kWh/m² to a high of 6.77 kWh/m² in November across the year — December's 6.36 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.6Intense
26.6Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.5Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.4Intense
156.4Intense
166.3Intense
176.3Intense
186.3Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Mtwara

In seasonPeak

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

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

Mtwara'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 Mtwara?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Mtwara for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mtwara in December

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

In December, Mtwara sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Mtwara in December

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 17 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Mtwara 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 Mtwara peaks around March 13 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 13UV 15Jun 21UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mtwara?

Mtwara sits at 10.3°S, 40.2°E, 21 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Lindi, 59 km away.

KitamaTandahimbaNyangaoNangangaLuchinguMocímboa

Topography around Mtwara

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mtwara has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 43 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 163 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 460 m.

The land around Mtwara is covered by water (38%) and artificial surfaces (25%) within 3 km, water (39%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (36%) within 80 km.

3 km
43 m
16 km
163 m
80 km
460 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
December weather nearby: Lindi 59 km · Nanyamba 60 km · Kitama 70 km · Tandahimba 81 km · Nyangao 99 km · Nanganga 114 km · Luchingu 117 km · Mocímboa 118 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 Mtwara (-10.2667°, 40.1833°, elevation 21 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). 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).