Chirundu weather in December

In December, Chirundu sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 169 mm of rain across 17.5 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 33°C in the first days to 31°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 12 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Chirundu's 11th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chirundu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
4th warmest
Overnight low
23°
11th coldest
Rainfall
169 mm
17.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
5:32 AM – 6:29 PM
Cloud cover
73%
11th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.66 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Chirundu is human settlement.

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 33°C in the first days to 31°C by the end.

A typical December day in Chirundu reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 36°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and about 1°C warmer than January.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13323
23323
33323
43323
53323
63223
73223
83223
93223
103223
113223
123223
133223
143123
153123
163123
173123
183123
193123
203123
213123
223123
233123
243123
253123
263123
273123
283123
293123
303123
313123

How December really feels in Chirundu

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in December is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Chirundu 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
Jan30° / 22°21220.612.83.5
Feb30° / 22°14617.212.53.8
Mar31° / 22°8612.312.14.5
Apr31° / 19°202.911.65.8
May29° / 16°10.211.37.4
Jun27° / 14°0011.18.9
Jul26° / 13°0011.19.0
Aug29° / 15°0011.57.4
Sep33° / 19°10.111.94.7
Oct36° / 22°6112.43.0
Nov35° / 24°517.112.72.7
Dec32° / 23°16917.512.93.4

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% 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 73%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
23862
33862
43763
53664
63565
73466
83268
93070
103070
112872
122674
132575
142575
152575
162377
172377
182377
192476
202377
212377
222377
232377
242377
252476
262476
272476
282575
292575
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Chirundu gets around 169 mm of rain over 17.5 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 56% and peaks near 63% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
240
342
443
544
646
748
850
951
1053
1154
1256
1357
1458
1559
1660
1761
1861
1961
2062
2162
2262
2362
2463
2563
2663
2763
2863
2963
3063
3163

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 79% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1711264016
2610264017
3610264019
4510253920
559243923
649233825
749223827
848213829
938203831
1037183834
1127173936
1226153938
1326143940
1415124042
1514114043
1614104045
171394046
181394048
191384049
201284050
211274050
220274051
230274051
240274051
250274051
260273952
270273952
280273853
290283852
300183754
310183655

Wind in December

Winds average 7 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 6 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
38calm
48calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of December to 12 h 54 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 5:28 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 6:21 PM to 6:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.95:286:21
212.95:286:22
312.95:286:22
412.95:286:23
512.95:296:23
612.95:296:24
712.95:296:24
812.95:306:25
912.95:306:25
1012.95:306:26
1112.95:306:27
1212.95:316:27
1312.95:316:28
1412.95:326:28
1512.95:326:29
1612.95:326:29
1713.05:336:30
1813.05:336:30
1913.05:346:31
2013.05:346:31
2113.05:346:32
2213.05:356:32
2313.05:356:33
2413.05:366:33
2513.05:366:34
2613.05:376:34
2713.05:376:34
2812.95:386:35
2912.95:386:35
3012.95:396:36
3112.95:406:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.66 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.64 kWh/m² to a high of 7.21 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 5.66 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Intense
36.0Bright
46.0Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Chirundu

In seasonPeak

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

Chirundu's monsoon runs December–February, 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 Chirundu?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chirundu.

What to pack for Chirundu in December

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

In December, Chirundu sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Chirundu 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 Chirundu peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jul 10UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Chirundu 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 Chirundu is worst in September — around 37 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateSep 1037 µg/m³Dec 2112 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan13Moderate
Feb14Moderate
Mar13Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug36Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct26Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chirundu?

Chirundu sits at 16.0°S, 28.8°E, 394 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kariba, 54 km away.

PalabanaKafueChilanga TownshipChongweChisankaneNtandabale

Topography around Chirundu

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chirundu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m around an average of 398 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 343 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,110 m.

The land around Chirundu is covered by grassland (39%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, shrubs (54%) within 16 km, and shrubs (45%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
98 m
16 km
343 m
80 km
1,110 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Kariba 54 km · Siavonga 58 km · Palabana 73 km · Kafue 77 km · Chilanga Township 80 km · Chongwe 80 km · Chisankane 81 km · Ntandabale 85 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 Chirundu (-16.0358°, 28.8431°, elevation 394 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).