Laayoune weather in December

In December, Laayoune sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 8 mm of rain across 1.4 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% 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 Laayoune's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Laayoune's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
10th warmest
Overnight low
14°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
8 mm
1.4 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:40 AM – 5:58 PM
Cloud cover
36%
11th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
3.74 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.4
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.

A typical December day in Laayoune reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12315
22315
32315
42315
52315
62215
72215
82215
92215
102215
112215
122215
132214
142214
152214
162214
172214
182214
192214
202214
212214
222214
232214
242214
252214
262214
272214
282214
292214
302213
312213

Laayoune 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 daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 13°71.210.58.3
Feb22° / 14°61.4118.4
Mar23° / 15°5111.88.8
Apr23° / 16°10.312.68.9
May24° / 17°10.213.39.2
Jun25° / 18°0013.79.2
Jul27° / 20°0013.58.9
Aug28° / 20°00.1138.4
Sep28° / 20°30.712.28.5
Oct26° / 19°80.911.38.4
Nov24° / 17°50.910.78.7
Dec22° / 14°81.410.38.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% 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
27525
37525
47525
57525
67525
77525
87525
97624
107624
117624
127525
137525
147525
157525
167426
177525
187525
197525
207525
217525
227525
237525
247624
257624
267723
277723
287723
297723
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Laayoune gets around 8 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
86
96
106
116
126
136
146
156
166
176
186
195
205
215
224
234
244
254
263
273
283
293
302
312

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 70% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1603280
2603280
3613180
4633070
5642970
6652870
7662770
8662680
9672580
10682480
11682480
12692380
13692290
14702190
15702190
16702091
17702091
18702091
19712081
20712081
21721981
22731971
23731971
24741961
25761851
26761851
27771841
28781741
29791731
30811630
31821620

Wind in December

Winds average 18 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light 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 7:30 AM to 7:47 AM, and sunset from 5:55 PM to 6:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:305:55
210.47:315:55
310.47:325:55
410.47:325:55
510.47:335:55
610.47:345:55
710.47:345:55
810.37:355:56
910.37:365:56
1010.37:365:56
1110.37:375:56
1210.37:385:57
1310.37:385:57
1410.37:395:57
1510.37:395:58
1610.37:405:58
1710.37:415:58
1810.37:415:59
1910.37:425:59
2010.37:425:59
2110.37:436:00
2210.37:436:00
2310.37:446:01
2410.37:446:01
2510.37:446:02
2610.37:456:02
2710.37:456:03
2810.37:466:03
2910.37:466:04
3010.37:466:05
3110.37:476:05

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 3.74 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.74 kWh/m² to a high of 7.62 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 3.74 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.8Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.8Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.7Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Laayoune

In seasonPeak

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

Laayoune 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 Laayoune?

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

8.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Laayoune in December

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

In December, Laayoune sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: light clothes.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Laayoune 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 at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) 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 Laayoune 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 Laayoune peaks around August 13 at about 10 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highModerateAug 13UV 10Dec 17UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb6High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May9Very high
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov5Moderate
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Laayoune 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 Laayoune 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 Laayoune?

Laayoune sits at 27.1°N, 13.2°W, 68 m above sea level, in Western Sahara. The nearest listed city is El Marsa, 23 km away.

SmaraBoujdour

Topography around Laayoune

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Laayoune has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 67 m around an average of 62 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 305 m.

The land around Laayoune is covered by bare terrain (55%) and artificial surfaces (42%) within 3 km, bare terrain (97%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (74%) and water (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
67 m
16 km
114 m
80 km
305 m
shrubsartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: El Marsa 23 km · Smara 157 km · Pájara 162 km · Puerto del Rosario 165 km · Boujdour 171 km · La Oliva 179 km · Puerto del Carmen 204 km · Arrecife 206 km

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Laayoune (27.1418°, -13.188°, elevation 68 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).