If you plan to visit Edinburgh in December, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +7°C during the day and approximately 3 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 10 rainy days in the month and around 86 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flightsin one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
December is usually the wettest month of the year in Edinburgh;
Average weather
☀️
+7°C
Avg. max. temperature
-10°C
Min.
+14°C
Max.
86 mm
Total precipitation
84%
Avg. humidity
3 m/s
Avg. wind
3 ☀️
Sunny Days
17 ⛅️
Cloudy
10 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Edinburgh has OK weather in December.
Average temperature in Edinburgh in December
Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Edinburgh for December based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Going from a maximum of +13°C during the day to a minimum of -6°C during the night, the temperature in December averages around +5°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 16% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +8°C to +5°C.
Is Edinburgh warm or cold in December?
Edinburgh is typically cool in December.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +9°C to +7°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +4°C to +2°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
December is one of the coolest months in Edinburgh, here is the comparison with other months:
Climate in Edinburgh in December
Edinburgh weather looks like this, on average, in December and the surrounding months.
November
December
January
Avg. temperature
+9°C
+7°C
+6°C
Min. temperature
-8°C
-10°C
-16°C
Max. temperature
+16°C
+14°C
+13°C
Rainfall
78 mm
86 mm
79 mm
Wind
3 m/s
3 m/s
4 m/s
Humidity
83%
84%
83%
Air pressure
1008 HPa
1008 HPa
1008 HPa
Sunny days
3
3
3
Cloudy days
18
17
18
Rainy days
9
10
9
Snowy days
0
1
1
December weather is still as ok as in November.It’s getting colder in December. From +9°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +7°C.Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 78 mm to 86 mm.Humidity rises from 83% to 84%.The average wind speed doesn’t change much during December, staying around 3 m/s.The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 3 sunny days during the month.
January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind speed in Edinburgh in December based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The average wind speed is 3 m/s getting up to 7 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Edinburgh is gradually increasing during December, going from 1 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm during December in Edinburgh based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in December stands at 58%, leading to total precipitation of around 100 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 22 mm, which is considered light rain.December is a pretty wet month with over 18 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of galoshes.
December is one of the rainiest months in Edinburgh, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Edinburgh wettest month is October, where a typical day has a 35% chance of precipitation and 91 mm of rainfall per day. April, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 27% chance of precipitation and 65 mm of rainfall per day.
Snow
Amount of snow in mm during December in Edinburgh based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 0% chance of snow on an average day in December, with a total monthly snowfall of approximately 8 mm.
December is one of the snowiest months in Edinburgh.
Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:
How was the weather last December in Edinburgh?
This is the weather in Edinburgh in December 2023:
1 December
☁️
+8°C
2 December
🌫️
+8°C
3 December
☁️
+7°C
4 December
🌧️
+6°C
5 December
🌧️
+5°C
6 December
☀️
+5°C
7 December
☀️
+4°C
8 December
☀️
+3°C
9 December
☀️
+2°C
10 December
🌧️
+1°C
11 December
🌧️
+3°C
12 December
☀️
-1°C
13 December
☀️
-3°C
14 December
☀️
0°C
15 December
☀️
+1°C
16 December
🌧️
+3°C
17 December
☀️
+4°C
18 December
☀️
+3°C
19 December
🌧️
+13°C
20 December
☁️
+7°C
21 December
🌧️
+7°C
22 December
☁️
+7°C
23 December
🌧️
+6°C
24 December
🌧️
+8°C
25 December
🌧️
+8°C
26 December
🌧️
+3°C
27 December
🌧️
+5°C
28 December
🌧️
+8°C
29 December
🌧️
+6°C
30 December
🌧️
+8°C
31 December
🌧️
+5°C
In December 2023 Edinburgh had 10 sunny days, 4 cloudy days, and 16 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +5°C, with an absolute maximum of +13°C and a minimum of -3°C. The average humidity was 87%, with a maximum of 97% and a minimum of 67%. The average wind speed was 3 m/s, with a maximum of 14 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in December?
Climate Change over Years
This is how Edinburgh climate have been changing during last 43 years period.
The climate in Edinburgh in December has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 2010 (+3°C) and the highest in 2015 (+11°C). The driest year was 2010 with only 24 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 208 mm.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Edinburgh in December:
Is December a good time to visit Edinburgh?
It’s always a good time to visit Edinburgh, but the weather is changeable in December, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.
Can you sunbathe in Edinburgh in December?
Not really, December is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.
Is Edinburgh rainy in December?
Edinburgh is often rainy in December. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.
Is it sunny in Edinburgh in December?
Usually, it’s not very sunny in Edinburgh in December, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.
Other cities in United Kingdom
Check out the weather for other cities in United Kingdom.
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Edinburgh, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.