Cork 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
Poor
Best time to visit: June – September
What is the weather like in Cork in December?
In December, Cork is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 10.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 89 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 33 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Cork.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 25 | 17 | 14 |
| Day | 11° | 9° | 9° |
| Night | 8° | 6° | 6° |
| Sea | 12° | 11° | 10° |
| Sun | 3 h | 2 h | 2 h |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 | 13 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 7 h 49 min08:35 – 16:23
- UV index
- 0 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 33 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 72 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+0Europe/Dublin
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %14 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %32 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Warm jacket
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Cork in December: quick answers
Is Cork hot in December?
No. In December, Cork is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C and nights drop to about 6 °C.
Can you swim in Cork in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 10.6 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Cork in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 89 mm in total.
Cork month by month
The whole year in CorkAll destinations: IrelandWhere to go in DecemberSea temperature in December
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences