Weather in Istanbul in December 2024
- December is usually the wettest month of the year in Istanbul;
Average weather
Average temperature in Istanbul in December
Going from a maximum of +19°C during the day to a minimum of +4°C during the night, the temperature in December averages around +13°C.
The average maximum temperature goes down 27% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +18°C to +14°C.
Is Istanbul warm or cold in December?
Istanbul is typically cool in December.
Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +15°C to +11°C. The minimum temperature also goes down from +10°C to +7°C.
Pack a sweater and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.
Take a look at how December is compared to other months in Istanbul:
Water temperature in Istanbul in December
Water in Istanbul in December is Cold. It varies from +8°C to +14°C, with an average of +11°C. This is almost similar to the air temperature, which averages +11°C.
In December, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in Istanbul in December?
Climate in Istanbul in December
| November | December | January | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +15°C | +11°C | +9°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +1°C | -2°C | -8°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +27°C | +24°C | +19°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 69 mm | 81 mm | 65 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 3 m/s | 4 m/s | 4 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +14°C | +11°C | +8°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 75% | 76% | 76% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1018 HPa | 1018 HPa | 1018 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 9 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 8 | 9 | 9 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 12 | 14 | 13 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||
December weather is still as ok as in November. It’s getting colder in December. From +15°C in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +11°C. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 69 mm to 81 mm. Humidity rises from 75% to 76%. Winds are stronger in comparison to November, going up from 3 m/s to 4 m/s on average. The days becoming less sunny, going from 9 sunny days in November to 6 in December.
January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 10 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Istanbul is gradually decreasing during December, going from 5 m/s to 1 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last December in Istanbul?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Istanbul in December has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1997 (+16°C) and the highest in 2019 (+20°C). The driest year was 1984 with only 361 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2010 with 859 mm.
FAQ
Is December a good time to visit Istanbul?
Can you sunbathe in Istanbul in December?
Can you swim in Istanbul in December?
Is Istanbul rainy in December?
Is it sunny in Istanbul in December?
Other cities in Turkey
Monthly weather in Istanbul
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Istanbul, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
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.