Maldonado weather in December

In December, Maldonado sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 67 mm of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 12 min at the start of December to 14 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Maldonado's 2nd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Maldonado's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
4th warmest
Overnight low
18°
9th coldest
Rainfall
67 mm
6.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 18 min
6:26 AM – 8:46 PM
Cloud cover
43%
2nd clearest
Wind
22 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
7.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Maldonado is city in Uruguay.

Density
1,706/km²
people per km²
Founded
1755

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical December day in Maldonado reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12017
22017
32017
42017
52017
62018
72118
82118
92118
102118
112118
122118
132118
142118
152118
162118
172118
182119
192219
202219
212219
222219
232219
242219
252219
262219
272219
282219
292219
302220
312220

Maldonado weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 20°635.114.17.9
Feb23° / 21°807.113.37.5
Mar22° / 20°888.212.37.2
Apr20° / 17°1129.511.16.4
May17° / 14°92910.25.5
Jun14° / 12°1009.59.74.2
Jul13° / 10°1059.89.93.5
Aug13° / 11°979.110.73.9
Sep14° / 12°898.411.84.4
Oct16° / 14°988.812.95.4
Nov19° / 16°877.513.86.6
Dec21° / 18°676.914.37.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 52% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16535
26535
36634
46634
56634
66634
76634
86634
96733
106634
116634
126634
136634
146634
156634
166535
176535
186535
196535
206535
216535
226535
236634
246634
256535
266535
276634
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Maldonado gets around 67 mm of rain over 6.9 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 22% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
121
221
320
420
520
621
721
821
921
1022
1122
1222
1323
1423
1524
1624
1724
1825
1925
2024
2124
2224
2323
2423
2522
2622
2721
2820
2919
3019
3118

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 35% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 23% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
129303470
229303480
328293480
428293590
527293590
6262835100
7262836110
8252736120
9242737120
10232737130
11222737140
12212638150
13202638160
14192638180
15182537190
16172537210
17162437220
18152436241
19152336261
20142235271
21142135291
22132034302
23132034322
24131933332
25121933343
26121832343
27121832354
28111732354
29111732365
30101732365
31101632365

Wind in December

Winds average 22 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 21 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
3021breezy
3121breezy

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min at the start of December to 14 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:24 AM to 6:34 AM, and sunset from 8:35 PM to 8:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.26:248:35
214.26:248:36
314.26:248:36
414.26:248:37
514.26:248:38
614.26:248:39
714.36:248:40
814.36:248:40
914.36:248:41
1014.36:258:42
1114.36:258:43
1214.36:258:43
1314.36:258:44
1414.36:258:45
1514.36:268:45
1614.36:268:46
1714.36:268:47
1814.36:278:47
1914.36:278:48
2014.36:278:48
2114.36:288:49
2214.36:288:49
2314.36:298:50
2414.36:298:50
2514.36:308:50
2614.36:308:51
2714.36:318:51
2814.36:328:52
2914.36:328:52
3014.36:338:52
3114.36:348:52

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.46 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.15 kWh/m² to a high of 7.46 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.46 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.3Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.5Intense
77.5Intense
87.5Intense
97.5Intense
107.5Intense
117.5Intense
127.5Intense
137.5Intense
147.5Intense
157.5Intense
167.5Intense
177.4Intense
187.4Intense
197.4Intense
207.4Intense
217.4Intense
227.4Intense
237.4Intense
247.4Intense
257.4Intense
267.4Intense
277.4Intense
287.4Intense
297.4Intense
307.4Intense
317.4Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Maldonado?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
4.6
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Maldonado for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Maldonado in December

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

In December, Maldonado sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 7 days see rain.

sun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Maldonado in December

The nearest coast averages about 20°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 16 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in July near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 12 to Apr 10 — about 3.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr20Cool
May17Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Maldonado in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Maldonado peaks around January 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Maldonado?

Maldonado sits at 34.9°S, 55.0°W, 41 m above sea level, in Uruguay. The nearest listed city is Punta del Este, 6.0 km away.

PiriapolisMinasRochaLa PalomaPandoBarros Blancos

Topography around Maldonado

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Maldonado has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 56 m around an average of 19 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 173 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 498 m.

The land around Maldonado is covered by artificial surfaces (44%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, water (49%) and grassland (25%) within 16 km, and water (42%) and grassland (39%) within 80 km.

3 km
56 m
16 km
173 m
80 km
498 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Punta del Este 6.0 km · San Carlos 12 km · Piriapolis 30 km · Minas 64 km · Rocha 73 km · La Paloma 76 km · Pando 94 km · Barros Blancos 97 km

Uruguay travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / I / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 66% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$25,216
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 542
Religion
none 47%Roman Catholic 37%Protestant 15%atheist 10%

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 Maldonado (-34.8979°, -54.9502°, elevation 41 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).