Fort Portal weather in December

In December, Fort Portal sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 85 mm of rain across 13.5 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 10th-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 14% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 hours at the start of December to 12 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Fort Portal's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Fort Portal's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
16°
4th coldest
Rainfall
85 mm
13.5 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
6:56 AM – 6:54 PM
Cloud cover
70%
4th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
5.55 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Fort Portal is town in Western Uganda.

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 26°C through the month.

A typical December day in Fort Portal 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 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12616
22616
32616
42616
52616
62616
72616
82616
92616
102616
112616
122616
132616
142616
152616
162616
172616
182616
192716
202716
212716
222716
232716
242716
252716
262716
272716
282716
292716
302716
312716

Fort Portal weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 7th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 16°346.7126.5
Feb29° / 17°377125.6
Mar28° / 17°10817.2124.7
Apr27° / 17°16424.1124.1
May27° / 17°13421.6124.7
Jun27° / 16°10316.1125.4
Jul26° / 16°10416.9125.5
Aug26° / 16°16722.6124.7
Sep26° / 16°18625.8124.1
Oct26° / 16°23928.2123.8
Nov26° / 16°20425.7124.1
Dec26° / 16°8513.5125.9

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22278
32278
42575
52575
62575
72674
82773
92971
102971
113169
123169
133169
143367
153466
163466
173466
183466
193466
203565
213565
223664
233664
243664
253664
263664
273664
283763
293763
303763
313763

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Fort Portal gets around 85 mm of rain over 13.5 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 44% and peaks near 69% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
169
267
366
465
563
661
760
858
956
1054
1152
1250
1347
1445
1543
1641
1739
1837
1936
2034
2133
2232
2331
2430
2529
2628
2727
2826
2925
3025
3124

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the humid band about 64% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
107903
208893
318892
419882
5111862
6112852
7214831
8215821
9217801
10319771
11321751
12323731
13426700
14428680
15530650
16532630
17534610
18636580
19638560
20740530
21741520
22843490
23844480
24845460
25946450
26947440
27947430
281048420
291148410
301148400
311248400

Wind in December

Winds average 4 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:50 AM to 7:03 AM, and sunset from 6:48 PM to 7:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.06:506:48
212.06:506:48
312.06:516:48
412.06:516:49
512.06:516:49
612.06:526:50
712.06:526:50
812.06:536:50
912.06:536:51
1012.06:536:51
1112.06:546:52
1212.06:546:52
1312.06:556:53
1412.06:556:53
1512.06:566:53
1612.06:566:54
1712.06:576:54
1812.06:576:55
1912.06:586:55
2012.06:586:56
2112.06:596:56
2212.06:596:57
2312.06:596:57
2412.07:006:58
2512.07:006:58
2612.07:016:59
2712.07:016:59
2812.07:027:00
2912.07:027:00
3012.07:037:00
3112.07:037:01

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.55 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.02 kWh/m² in February across the year — December's 5.55 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Fort Portal

In seasonPeak

None of Fort Portal's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Fort Portal's rainy season runs August–November, 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 Fort Portal?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.8
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Fort Portal for sightseeing.

What to pack for Fort Portal in December

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

In December, Fort Portal sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Fort Portal in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Fort Portal peaks around March 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 16UV 15Jun 22UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Fort Portal 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 Fort Portal is worst in February — around 66 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.6× the cleanest month (April, 26 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorModeratePoorFeb 966 µg/m³Apr 2226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan64Unhealthy
Feb66Unhealthy
Mar39Poor
Apr26Moderate
May27Moderate
Jun35Poor
Jul42Poor
Aug33Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov28Moderate
Dec44Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Fort Portal?

Fort Portal sits at 0.7°N, 30.3°E, 1,518 m above sea level, in Uganda. The nearest listed city is Buhesi, 12 km away.

KyenjojoKatokeRwamwanja Refugee Camp

Topography around Fort Portal

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Fort Portal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m around an average of 1,527 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,902 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,373 m.

The land around Fort Portal is covered by trees (64%) within 3 km, trees (60%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
114 m
16 km
1,902 m
80 km
4,373 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Buhesi 12 km · Bundibugyo 24 km · Nyahuka 31 km · Kyarusozi 32 km · Rwiimi 32 km · Kyenjojo 39 km · Katoke 47 km · Rwamwanja Refugee Camp 55 km

Uganda travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 35% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,206
2025
Happiness
4.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
29.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 518
Religion
Protestant 45%Roman Catholic 39%Muslim 14%other 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 Fort Portal (0.6617°, 30.2748°, elevation 1,518 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).