Livingstone weather in December

In December, Livingstone sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 181 mm of rain across 20.6 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of December to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Livingstone's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Livingstone's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
20°
10th coldest
Rainfall
181 mm
20.6 wet days
Daylight
13 h 06 min
5:41 AM – 6:45 PM
Cloud cover
73%
11th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
6.07 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Livingstone is city in Zambia.

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 30°C through the month.

A typical December day in Livingstone reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 3°C cooler than November and on par with January.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13020
23020
33020
43020
53020
63020
73020
83020
93020
103020
113020
123020
133020
143020
153020
163020
173020
183020
193020
203020
212920
222920
232920
242920
252920
262920
272920
282920
292920
302920
312920

How December really feels in Livingstone

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.

Livingstone 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
Jan29° / 20°20821.212.93.9
Feb29° / 20°16217.412.64.3
Mar29° / 19°971412.15.0
Apr29° / 17°203.811.66.8
May27° / 13°20.511.28.6
Jun25° / 11°10.2119.3
Jul25° / 10°00119.4
Aug28° / 13°0011.48.1
Sep32° / 17°30.511.95.3
Oct34° / 21°11312.43.6
Nov32° / 21°8813.512.83.5
Dec30° / 20°18120.6133.8

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 14% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 69%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23565
33565
43565
53466
63367
73268
83268
93268
103169
113070
122971
132971
143070
153070
162971
173070
183070
193070
203070
213169
223169
233070
242971
252971
262971
272971
282971
292971
303169
313169

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Livingstone gets around 181 mm of rain over 20.6 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 65% and peaks near 69% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
157
258
359
460
561
661
762
863
964
1065
1166
1266
1367
1467
1567
1667
1767
1867
1967
2068
2168
2268
2368
2469
2569
2668
2768
2867
2967
3066
3165

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 63% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 63% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
19143344
29133345
38133347
48123248
57113250
67113151
77103053
86103054
9692956
10592858
11582859
12482761
13472663
14472564
15362566
16362467
17352369
18352369
19352270
20352270
21342271
22242272
23242272
24242272
25242272
26142273
27142273
28142372
29152371
30152371
31162469

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of December to 13 h 06 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 5:37 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 6:51 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.05:376:36
213.05:376:37
313.05:376:37
413.05:376:38
513.05:376:38
613.05:386:39
713.05:386:40
813.05:386:40
913.05:386:41
1013.05:396:41
1113.05:396:42
1213.15:396:42
1313.15:406:43
1413.15:406:44
1513.15:406:44
1613.15:416:45
1713.15:416:45
1813.15:426:46
1913.15:426:46
2013.15:436:47
2113.15:436:47
2213.15:436:48
2313.15:446:48
2413.15:446:49
2513.15:456:49
2613.15:456:49
2713.15:466:50
2813.15:466:50
2913.15:476:51
3013.15:486:51
3113.15:486:51

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.07 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.71 kWh/m² to a high of 7.18 kWh/m² in October across the year — December's 6.07 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.0Intense
256.0Intense
266.0Intense
276.0Intense
286.0Intense
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.0Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Livingstone

In seasonPeak

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

Livingstone'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 Livingstone?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Livingstone.

What to pack for Livingstone in December

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

In December, Livingstone sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Livingstone 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 Livingstone peaks around January 18 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 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 18UV 16Jun 23UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr10Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct10Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Livingstone 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 Livingstone is worst in September — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.0× the cleanest month (April, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1828 µg/m³Apr 136 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb7Good
Mar7Good
Apr6Good
May8Good
Jun11Good
Jul12Good
Aug19Moderate
Sep29Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Livingstone?

Livingstone sits at 17.8°S, 25.9°E, 969 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Victoria Falls, 10 km away.

KasaneHwangeKalomoMaambaChomaSeshekeKatima Mulilo

Topography around Livingstone

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Livingstone has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 91 m around an average of 935 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 373 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 785 m.

The land around Livingstone is covered by artificial surfaces (38%) and trees (37%) within 3 km, shrubs (45%), grassland (25%) and trees (23%) within 16 km, and shrubs (42%), grassland (28%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
91 m
16 km
373 m
80 km
785 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
December weather nearby: Victoria Falls 10 km · Kasane 74 km · Hwange 90 km · Kalomo 113 km · Maamba 147 km · Choma 166 km · Sesheke 170 km · Katima Mulilo 171 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 Livingstone (-17.8419°, 25.8543°, elevation 969 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).