Barnstaple weather in December

In December, Barnstaple sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 95 mm of precipitation across 14.6 wet days and about 7.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 8°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 hours at the start of December to 7 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Barnstaple's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barnstaple's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
95 mm
14.6 wet days
Daylight
7 h 42 min
8:21 AM – 4:03 PM
Cloud cover
75%
10th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
0.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Barnstaple is town and civil parish in Devon, England.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 8.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
3,638/km²
people per km²

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 8°C through the month.

A typical December day in Barnstaple reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to 5°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 4°C and 12°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and on par with January.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
195
295
395
495
595
695
795
895
995
1095
1195
1295
1385
1485
1585
1684
1784
1884
1984
2084
2184
2284
2384
2484
2584
2684
2784
2884
2984
3084
3184

How December really feels in Barnstaple

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 11 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
11
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Barnstaple 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 daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7914.50.88.21.1
Feb / 6511.80.79.61.2
Mar / 6312.80.511.51.8
Apr12° / 6311.90.113.52.9
May14° / 6312.2015.33.9
Jun17° / 11°6511.9016.25.0
Jul19° / 13°6712.6015.95.6
Aug19° / 13°7112.8014.45.5
Sep17° / 11°6111.1012.45.0
Oct14° / 8414.2010.43.5
Nov11° / 8815.208.72.1
Dec / 9514.60.37.81.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 76%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22575
32575
42575
52674
62773
72575
82575
92575
102575
112575
122575
132575
142575
152476
162476
172377
182377
192278
202377
212377
222476
232476
242476
252476
262575
272476
282476
292476
302476
312476

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Barnstaple gets around 95 mm of rain and snow over 14.6 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 precipitation averages around 47% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1470
2470
3470
4460
5460
6460
7460
8461
9461
10461
11461
12471
13471
14471
15471
16471
17471
18471
19481
20481
21481
22481
23481
24481
25481
26481
27481
28481
29481
30481
31482

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 21 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120breezy
220breezy
320breezy
420breezy
520breezy
621breezy
721breezy
821breezy
921breezy
1021breezy
1121breezy
1221breezy
1321breezy
1421breezy
1521breezy
1621breezy
1721breezy
1821breezy
1921breezy
2021breezy
2121breezy
2221breezy
2321breezy
2421breezy
2521breezy
2621breezy
2721breezy
2821breezy
2921breezy
3021breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 hours at the start of December to 7 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 8:06 AM to 8:27 AM, and sunset from 4:06 PM to 4:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.08:064:06
28.08:074:06
38.08:084:05
47.98:094:05
57.98:114:04
67.98:124:04
77.88:134:04
87.88:144:04
97.88:154:03
107.88:164:03
117.88:174:03
127.78:184:03
137.78:194:03
147.78:204:03
157.78:214:03
167.78:214:03
177.78:224:04
187.78:234:04
197.78:234:04
207.78:244:04
217.78:254:05
227.78:254:05
237.78:264:06
247.78:264:06
257.78:264:07
267.78:274:08
277.78:274:08
287.78:274:09
297.78:274:10
307.78:274:11
317.78:274:11

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.67 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.67 kWh/m² to a high of 5.43 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.67 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.8Dim
20.8Dim
30.8Dim
40.8Dim
50.7Dim
60.7Dim
70.7Dim
80.7Dim
90.7Dim
100.7Dim
110.7Dim
120.7Dim
130.7Dim
140.7Dim
150.7Dim
160.7Dim
170.7Dim
180.7Dim
190.6Dim
200.6Dim
210.6Dim
220.6Dim
230.6Dim
240.6Dim
250.7Dim
260.7Dim
270.7Dim
280.7Dim
290.7Dim
300.7Dim
310.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Barnstaple?

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

1.3
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Barnstaple.

What to pack for Barnstaple in December

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

In December, Barnstaple sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near 5°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 15 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Barnstaple in December

The nearest coast averages about 11°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 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 17°C and coldest in February near 8°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug17Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct15Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Barnstaple in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Barnstaple peaks around August 13 at about 7 (high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 13UV 7Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug7High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Barnstaple?

Barnstaple sits at 51.1°N, 4.1°W, 12 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Bideford, 13 km away.

Topography around Barnstaple

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Barnstaple has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 156 m around an average of 44 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 475 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 652 m.

The land around Barnstaple is covered by grassland (47%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, grassland (60%) within 16 km, and water (42%) and grassland (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
156 m
16 km
475 m
80 km
652 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Bideford 13 km · Tiverton 44 km · Porthcawl 51 km · Exeter 54 km · Heavitree 56 km · Bridgend 58 km · Coity 60 km · Swansea 61 km

United Kingdom travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 89% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$57,602
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
3.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 60%none 26%Muslim 4%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 Barnstaple (51.0802°, -4.0581°, elevation 12 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).