Wellington 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
Good
Best time to visit: January – March
What is the weather like in Wellington in December?
In December, Wellington is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 15.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 74 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, December is a good month for a holiday in Wellington.
December compared
How the weather changes from November to January. Tap a month to open it.
| NovemberNov | DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 64 | 71 | 86 |
| Day | 15° | 17° | 18° |
| Night | 12° | 14° | 15° |
| Sea | 14° | 15° | 16° |
| Sun | 7 h | 7 h | 8 h |
| Rain days | 11 | 11 | 8 |
More details for December
- Daylight
- 15 h 8 min05:42 – 20:50
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 29 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 62 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+13Pacific/Auckland
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %87 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %67 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %47 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in December
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Wellington in December: quick answers
Is Wellington hot in December?
No. In December, Wellington is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C and nights drop to about 14 °C.
Can you swim in Wellington in December?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in December the sea averages just 15.2 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Wellington in December?
Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 74 mm in total.
Wellington month by month
The whole year in WellingtonAll destinations: New ZealandWhere 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