El Marsa weather in December

In December, El Marsa sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 9 mm of rain across 1.4 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of December to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is El Marsa's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Marsa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
8th warmest
Overnight low
15°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
9 mm
1.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:41 AM – 5:59 PM
Cloud cover
35%
11th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

El Marsa is port city in Western Sahara.

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 21°C through the month.

A typical December day in El Marsa reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 6°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 cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12216
22216
32216
42216
52216
62216
72216
82216
92216
102216
112215
122215
132215
142115
152115
162115
172115
182115
192115
202115
212115
222115
232115
242115
252115
262115
272115
282115
292114
302114
312114

El Marsa weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 8th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 14°71.410.58.1
Feb21° / 15°71.4118.2
Mar21° / 16°6111.88.4
Apr21° / 16°10.212.68.5
May22° / 17°00.113.38.7
Jun23° / 19°0013.79.2
Jul24° / 20°0013.59.5
Aug25° / 20°00139.3
Sep25° / 20°30.512.29.1
Oct25° / 19°6111.48.9
Nov23° / 17°61.110.78.7
Dec21° / 15°91.410.38.3

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 61% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17624
27624
37624
47624
57624
67624
77624
87624
97525
107624
117624
127624
137624
147525
157525
167624
177624
187624
197624
207624
217624
227624
237624
247624
257723
267723
277723
287723
297723
307723
317822

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

El Marsa gets around 9 mm of rain over 1.4 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 rain averages around 5% and peaks near 6% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
35
45
55
65
75
85
95
106
116
126
136
146
156
166
176
186
195
205
215
225
234
244
254
264
273
283
293
303
313

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 61% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14938130
25038120
35137120
45237110
55336110
65435110
75435110
85534110
95633110
105732110
115831110
125930110
135829121
145928121
156027121
166027121
176126121
186126121
196225121
206325111
216325111
226524101
236524101
24662491
25672481
26672481
27692371
28702361
29712351
30722341
31722341

Wind in December

Winds average 20 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
220light breeze
320light breeze
420light breeze
520light breeze
620light breeze
720light breeze
820light breeze
920light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of December to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:31 AM to 7:47 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:315:56
210.47:325:56
310.47:325:56
410.47:335:56
510.47:345:56
610.47:345:56
710.47:355:56
810.37:365:57
910.37:365:57
1010.37:375:57
1110.37:385:57
1210.37:385:58
1310.37:395:58
1410.37:405:58
1510.37:405:59
1610.37:415:59
1710.37:415:59
1810.37:426:00
1910.37:426:00
2010.37:436:00
2110.37:436:01
2210.37:446:01
2310.37:446:02
2410.37:456:02
2510.37:456:03
2610.37:466:03
2710.37:466:04
2810.37:466:04
2910.37:476:05
3010.37:476:06
3110.37:476:06

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.72 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.72 kWh/m² to a high of 7.53 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.72 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.8Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.7Moderate
223.7Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for El Marsa

In seasonPeak

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

El Marsa sees seasonal dust haze (July–August), heaviest in July.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit El Marsa?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for El Marsa in December

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

In December, El Marsa sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 15°C. Little to plan around — just the basics.

Sea temperature near El Marsa in December

The nearest coast averages about 19°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in October at about 21°C and coldest in February near 17°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Aug 4 to Nov 19 — about 3.6 months when the water holds above 20°C.

16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb17Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr18Cool
May19Cool
Jun20Cool
Jul20Cool
Aug20Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov20Refreshing
Dec19Cool

UV index in El Marsa in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in El Marsa peaks around June 22 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateJun 22UV 11Dec 17UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb6High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in El Marsa 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 El Marsa is worst in December — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (June, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodModerateDec 2228 µg/m³Jun 117 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan25Moderate
Feb26Moderate
Mar14Moderate
Apr10Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul11Good
Aug12Good
Sep9Good
Oct12Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec28Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is El Marsa?

El Marsa sits at 27.1°N, 13.4°W, 4 m above sea level, in Western Sahara. The nearest listed city is Laayoune, 23 km away.

BoujdourSmara

Topography around El Marsa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around El Marsa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 4 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 74 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 264 m.

The land around El Marsa is covered by bare terrain (50%) and water (41%) within 3 km, bare terrain (51%) and water (48%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (68%) and water (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
16 m
16 km
74 m
80 km
264 m
artificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Laayoune 23 km · Boujdour 151 km · Pájara 155 km · Puerto del Rosario 162 km · La Oliva 176 km · Smara 177 km · Puerto del Carmen 205 km · Arrecife 208 km

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for El Marsa (27.0961°, -13.4158°, elevation 4 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. 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).