Chinsali weather in December

In December, Chinsali sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 170 mm of rain across 23.7 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 29°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Chinsali's 9th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chinsali's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
4th warmest
Overnight low
19°
11th coldest
Rainfall
170 mm
23.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:29 AM – 6:06 PM
Cloud cover
80%
9th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Chinsali is city in Muchinga Province, Zambia.

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 29°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical December day in Chinsali reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12919
22919
32919
42919
52919
62919
72919
82819
92819
102819
112819
122819
132819
142819
152819
162819
172719
182719
192719
202719
212719
222718
232718
242718
252718
262718
272718
282718
292718
302718
312718

How December really feels in Chinsali

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.

Chinsali weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°20526.412.53.9
Feb26° / 18°15422.612.34.1
Mar26° / 18°13224.112.14.3
Apr26° / 17°4711.111.86.4
May26° / 15°51.211.58.3
Jun25° / 13°0011.49.0
Jul25° / 13°0011.49.1
Aug27° / 14°0011.78.4
Sep30° / 16°10.111.96.5
Oct32° / 19°92.212.25.0
Nov31° / 19°6811.412.54.3
Dec28° / 19°17023.712.64.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 81%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13169
23169
33070
43070
52971
62971
72674
82674
92476
102476
112278
122278
132080
142080
151981
161783
171783
181684
191585
201585
211585
221486
231387
241387
251387
261288
271189
281189
291090
301090
311090

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Chinsali gets around 170 mm of rain over 23.7 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 76% and peaks near 84% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
159
260
361
463
564
666
767
869
970
1072
1173
1275
1376
1477
1578
1679
1779
1880
1981
2081
2182
2282
2382
2483
2583
2683
2783
2883
2984
3084
3184

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 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 22% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
114205610
213195810
312185911
411176012
510166212
69166213
78156314
87146415
96136516
106126517
115126617
124116718
134106719
14396820
15386821
16376822
17366922
18266923
19256924
20256825
21256726
22246826
23246727
24246628
25236629
26136630
27136630
28136531
29136432
30126433
31126334

Wind in December

Winds average 7 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of December to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:24 AM to 5:37 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:245:59
212.65:255:59
312.65:256:00
412.65:256:00
512.65:256:01
612.65:266:01
712.65:266:02
812.65:266:02
912.65:276:03
1012.65:276:03
1112.65:276:04
1212.65:286:04
1312.65:286:05
1412.65:296:05
1512.65:296:06
1612.65:296:06
1712.65:306:07
1812.65:306:07
1912.65:316:08
2012.65:316:08
2112.65:326:09
2212.65:326:09
2312.65:336:10
2412.65:336:10
2512.65:346:11
2612.65:346:11
2712.65:356:11
2812.65:356:12
2912.65:366:12
3012.65:366:13
3112.65:376:13

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5 kWh/m² to a high of 6.91 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 5.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Chinsali

In seasonPeak

In December, Chinsali sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Chinsali's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is December a good time to visit Chinsali?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.6
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Chinsali for sightseeing.

What to pack for Chinsali in December

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

In December, Chinsali sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 24 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Chinsali in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chinsali peaks around February 16 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 15 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 16UV 17Jun 15UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Chinsali 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 Chinsali is worst in September — around 54 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 9.2× the cleanest month (May, 6 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 2153 µg/m³May 176 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb10Good
Mar8Good
Apr8Good
May6Good
Jun8Good
Jul16Moderate
Aug30Moderate
Sep54Poor
Oct49Poor
Nov18Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chinsali?

Chinsali sits at 10.5°S, 32.1°E, 1,286 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Isoka, 74 km away.

IsokaKasamaNakondeTundumaMpikaChitipaVwawaMlowo

Topography around Chinsali

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chinsali has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 155 m around an average of 1,289 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 218 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,099 m.

The land around Chinsali is covered by cropland (36%) and shrubs (22%) within 3 km, shrubs (36%), trees (25%) and grassland (25%) within 16 km, and trees (51%) and shrubs (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
155 m
16 km
218 m
80 km
1,099 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswetland
December weather nearby: Isoka 74 km · Kasama 105 km · Nakonde 152 km · Tunduma 157 km · Mpika 159 km · Chitipa 160 km · Vwawa 185 km · Mlowo 198 km

Zambia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 30% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,318
2025
Happiness
4.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
5.2
per 100k, 2015
Road deaths
20.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 573
Religion
Protestant 75%Roman Catholic 20%other 3%none 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 Chinsali (-10.5414°, 32.0816°, elevation 1,286 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. 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).