Clacton-on-Sea weather in December

In December, Clacton-on-Sea sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 78 mm of precipitation across 13.1 wet days and about 7.6 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-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 16% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 7 h 54 min at the start of December to 7 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Clacton-on-Sea's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Clacton-on-Sea's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
78 mm
13.1 wet days
Daylight
7 h 36 min
8:04 AM – 3:39 PM
Cloud cover
72%
10th clearest
Wind
27 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
0.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Clacton-on-Sea is town in Essex, England.

Density
1,210/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 Clacton-on-Sea reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 5°C and 11°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
197
297
397
497
596
696
796
896
996
1096
1186
1286
1386
1486
1586
1686
1786
1886
1986
2086
2186
2286
2385
2485
2585
2685
2785
2885
2985
3085
3185

How December really feels in Clacton-on-Sea

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.

Clacton-on-Sea weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7013.30.78.10.9
Feb / 5410.719.60.8
Mar / 459.80.411.51.4
Apr10° / 419013.62.4
May13° / 10°499.3015.43.7
Jun16° / 13°5210016.45.0
Jul19° / 16°5510.40166.0
Aug19° / 16°639.7014.46.1
Sep17° / 14°6010.5012.45.4
Oct14° / 12°7812.4010.43.9
Nov11° / 7612.70.28.62.4
Dec / 7813.10.67.61.3

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 15% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23367
33466
43565
53664
63565
73565
83565
93565
103565
113466
123367
133367
143367
153268
163169
173169
183070
193070
202971
212971
222971
232971
242971
253070
263070
273070
283070
293169
303070
313070

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Clacton-on-Sea gets around 78 mm of rain and snow over 13.1 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 43% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1421
2411
3411
4411
5411
6411
7411
8401
9401
10401
11401
12401
13411
14411
15421
16421
17431
18431
19431
20431
21442
22442
23442
24442
25442
26452
27452
28452
29452
30463
31463

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 27 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 27 km/h on the calmest days to 28 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
127breezy
227breezy
327breezy
427breezy
527breezy
627breezy
727breezy
827breezy
927breezy
1027breezy
1127breezy
1227breezy
1327breezy
1427breezy
1527breezy
1627breezy
1727breezy
1827breezy
1927breezy
2027breezy
2128breezy
2228breezy
2328breezy
2428breezy
2528breezy
2628breezy
2728breezy
2828breezy
2928breezy
3028breezy
3128breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 7 h 54 min at the start of December to 7 h 36 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 7:48 AM to 8:10 AM, and sunset from 3:42 PM to 3:47 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
17.97:483:42
27.97:493:42
37.87:513:41
47.87:523:41
57.87:533:40
67.87:543:40
77.77:563:39
87.77:573:39
97.77:583:39
107.77:593:39
117.68:003:39
127.68:013:39
137.68:023:39
147.68:033:39
157.68:043:39
167.68:043:39
177.68:053:39
187.68:063:39
197.68:063:39
207.58:073:40
217.58:083:40
227.58:083:41
237.58:083:41
247.58:093:42
257.68:093:42
267.68:103:43
277.68:103:44
287.68:103:44
297.68:103:45
307.68:103:46
317.68:103:47

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.65 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.65 kWh/m² to a high of 5.78 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 0.65 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.8Dim
20.8Dim
30.7Dim
40.7Dim
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
180.6Dim
190.6Dim
200.6Dim
210.6Dim
220.6Dim
230.6Dim
240.6Dim
250.6Dim
260.6Dim
270.6Dim
280.6Dim
290.7Dim
300.7Dim
310.7Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Clacton-on-Sea?

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 Clacton-on-Sea.

What to pack for Clacton-on-Sea in December

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

In December, Clacton-on-Sea sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near 6°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Clacton-on-Sea in December

The nearest coast averages about 9°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 18 km away) is warmest in August at about 18°C and coldest in February near 6°C.

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

5°10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb6Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun15Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct15Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Clacton-on-Sea 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 Clacton-on-Sea peaks around June 22 at about 6 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJun 22UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Clacton-on-Sea?

Clacton-on-Sea sits at 51.8°N, 1.2°E, 17 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Frinton-on-Sea, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Clacton-on-Sea

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Clacton-on-Sea.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Clacton-on-Sea has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 25 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 47 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 251 m.

The land around Clacton-on-Sea is covered by water (44%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 3 km, water (62%) within 16 km, and cropland (36%) and water (33%) within 80 km.

3 km
25 m
16 km
47 m
80 km
251 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Frinton-on-Sea 8.0 km · Walton-on-the-Naze 10 km · Harwich 19 km · Colchester 21 km · Felixstowe 24 km · Ipswich 30 km · Maldon 34 km · Witham 35 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 Clacton-on-Sea (51.7897°, 1.156°, elevation 17 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).