Newtownards weather in December

In December, Newtownards sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 93 mm of precipitation across 14.7 wet days and about 7.1 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-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 13% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 7 h 24 min at the start of December to 7 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Newtownards's 5th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Newtownards's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
93 mm
14.7 wet days
Daylight
7 hours
8:48 AM – 3:50 PM
Cloud cover
74%
5th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
0.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Newtownards is town in County Down, Northern Ireland, UK.

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 Newtownards reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to 5°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 12°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and on par with January.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
196
296
396
496
596
696
796
895
995
1095
1195
1295
1395
1485
1585
1685
1785
1885
1985
2085
2185
2285
2385
2485
2585
2685
2785
2885
2985
3085
3185

How December really feels in Newtownards

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.

Newtownards weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 8615.30.57.61.1
Feb / 68130.89.31.1
Mar / 6613.80.511.51.5
Apr11° / 6412.90.113.72.3
May13° / 6913.8015.83.2
Jun15° / 11°7412.9016.94.1
Jul17° / 12°8214.5016.44.6
Aug17° / 13°8214.3014.74.7
Sep15° / 11°7613.2012.54.2
Oct13° / 9714.3010.23.1
Nov10° / 9715.10.28.22.0
Dec / 9314.70.37.11.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% 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 72%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23367
33367
43367
53367
63268
73169
83169
93169
103169
112971
122971
132773
142773
152674
162674
172674
182575
192575
202674
212674
222674
232674
242674
252773
262773
272872
282773
292872
302971
313070

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Newtownards gets around 93 mm of rain and snow over 14.7 wet days in December. 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 49% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
149
249
348
448
548
647
747
847
946
1046
1146
1246
1346
1446
1546
1646
1746
1846
1946
2046
2147
2247
2347
2448
2548
2648
2749
2849
2949
3049
3149

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 22 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 7 h 24 min at the start of December to 7 h 06 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 8:30 AM to 8:54 AM, and sunset from 3:55 PM to 3:58 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
17.48:303:55
27.48:323:54
37.38:333:53
47.38:353:53
57.38:363:52
67.28:383:51
77.28:393:51
87.28:403:51
97.28:413:50
107.18:423:50
117.18:433:50
127.18:453:50
137.18:463:50
147.18:463:50
157.08:473:50
167.08:483:50
177.08:493:50
187.08:503:50
197.08:503:50
207.08:513:51
217.08:523:51
227.08:523:51
237.08:533:52
247.08:533:52
257.08:533:53
267.08:533:54
277.08:543:54
287.08:543:55
297.08:543:56
307.18:543:57
317.18:543:58

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 0.48 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.48 kWh/m² to a high of 4.97 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 0.48 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
10.6Dim
20.6Dim
30.6Dim
40.5Dim
50.5Dim
60.5Dim
70.5Dim
80.5Dim
90.5Dim
100.5Dim
110.5Dim
120.5Dim
130.5Dim
140.5Dim
150.5Dim
160.5Dim
170.5Dim
180.5Dim
190.5Dim
200.5Dim
210.5Dim
220.5Dim
230.5Dim
240.5Dim
250.5Dim
260.5Dim
270.5Dim
280.5Dim
290.5Dim
300.5Dim
310.5Dim
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Newtownards?

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
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Newtownards.

What to pack for Newtownards in December

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

In December, Newtownards 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 Newtownards 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 21 km away) is warmest in August at about 14°C and coldest in March near 8°C.

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

6°8°10°12°14°16°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May10Bracing
Jun12Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Newtownards in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 0. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Newtownards peaks around July 24 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJul 24UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5High
Jul5High
Aug5High
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Newtownards?

Newtownards sits at 54.6°N, 5.7°W, 9 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Bangor, 8.0 km away.

Topography around Newtownards

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Newtownards has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m around an average of 42 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 860 m.

The land around Newtownards is covered by grassland (43%) within 3 km, grassland (38%) and water (38%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and grassland (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
152 m
16 km
235 m
80 km
860 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Bangor 8.0 km · Castlereagh 13 km · Belfast 15 km · Carrickfergus 16 km · Newtownabbey 16 km · Lisburn 23 km · Larne 30 km · Antrim 36 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 Newtownards (54.5924°, -5.6909°, elevation 9 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).