Cape Town weather in December
Temperature, sea and sunshine in December: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in December
Excellent
Best time to visit: September – May
What is the weather like in Cape Town in December?
In December, Cape Town is warm: daytime highs average 25 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. The sea averages 16.7 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 12 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 14 mm in total. All in all, December is an excellent month for a holiday in Cape Town.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| Day | 23° | 25° | 26° |
| Night | 14° | 16° | 17° |
| Sea | 16° | 17° | 17° |
| Sun | 11 h | 12 h | 12 h |
| Rain days | 5 | 3 | 3 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 14 h 23 min05:30 – 19:53
- UV index
- 11 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 26 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 29 %on average
- Hot days
- 2 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %100 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %100 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Wetsuit for longer swims
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
Cape Town in December: quick answers
Is Cape Town hot in December?
Warm rather than hot: in December, daytime highs in Cape Town average 25 °C and nights cool to about 16 °C. On about 2 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Cape Town in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 16.7 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Cape Town in December?
Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 14 mm in total.
Cape Town month by month
The whole year in Cape TownAll destinations: South Africa
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)