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Wellington in December: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Planning a trip and want to know what the weather in Wellington in December will be like? Take a look at our weather guide for Wellington, based on historical data.
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December

Weather in Wellington in December 2024

OK Weather
Mild
🌧️
Rainy
If you plan to visit Wellington in December, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +18°C during the day and approximately 4 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 14 rainy days in the month and around 76 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • December is usually the wettest month of the year in Wellington;

Average weather

☀️
+18°C
Avg. max. temperature
+7°C
Min.
+26°C
Max.
76 mm
Total precipitation
83%
Avg. humidity
6 m/s
Avg. wind
4 ☀️
Sunny Days
13 ⛅️
Cloudy
14 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Wellington has OK weather in December.

Average temperature in Wellington in December

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Wellington for December based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

Going from a maximum of +22°C during the day to a minimum of +8°C during the night, the temperature in December averages around +19°C.

The average maximum temperature goes up 29% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +17°C to +21°C.

Is Wellington warm or cold in December?

Wellington is typically mild in December.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +16°C to +18°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +12°C to +14°C.

Pack a light jacket as it will be warm in the day and cool in the evenings.

December is one of the warmest months in Wellington, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Wellington in December

Wellington weather looks like this, on average, in December and the surrounding months.
NovemberDecemberJanuary
Avg. temperature
+16°C+18°C+19°C
Min. temperature
+6°C+7°C+9°C
Max. temperature
+23°C+26°C+28°C
Rainfall
76 mm76 mm54 mm
Wind
7 m/s6 m/s6 m/s
Humidity
81%83%82%
Air pressure
1011 HPa1012 HPa1013 HPa
Sunny days
546
Cloudy days
121314
Rainy days
141411
Snowy days
000

December weather is still as ok as in November. It’s getting warmer as December arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +16°C to +18°C during the day. The rainfall amount in December stays the same as in the previous month with a 76 mm of total precipitation. Humidity rises from 81% to 83%. Winds are calmer in comparison to November, going down from 7 m/s to 6 m/s on average. The days becoming less sunny, going from 5 sunny days in November to 4 in December.

January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Wellington in December based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 7 m/s getting up to 12 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.

The average wind speed in Wellington is gradually increasing during December, going from 4 m/s to 6 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during December in Wellington based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 48% chance of rain on an average day in December, with total rainfall of approximately 143 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 25 mm, which is moderate rain. December is a pretty wet month with over 15 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of galoshes.
Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Wellington wettest month is July, where a typical day has a 55% chance of precipitation and 100 mm of rainfall per day. January, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 35% chance of precipitation and 54 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last December in Wellington?

This is the weather in Wellington in December 2023:
1 December
☁️
+17°C
2 December
☁️
+17°C
3 December
☁️
+16°C
4 December
☁️
+17°C
5 December
☁️
+19°C
6 December
☁️
+20°C
7 December
☁️
+19°C
8 December
☀️
+18°C
9 December
🌧️
+19°C
10 December
☀️
+18°C
11 December
☀️
+19°C
12 December
🌧️
+19°C
13 December
☀️
+19°C
14 December
☁️
+17°C
15 December
☁️
+19°C
16 December
🌧️
+18°C
17 December
☁️
+19°C
18 December
☁️
+20°C
19 December
☀️
+20°C
20 December
☁️
+20°C
21 December
☁️
+20°C
22 December
☁️
+21°C
23 December
🌧️
+21°C
24 December
🌧️
+20°C
25 December
☁️
+21°C
26 December
☁️
+21°C
27 December
☀️
+20°C
28 December
☁️
+20°C
29 December
☁️
+20°C
30 December
🌧️
+22°C
31 December
☁️
+21°C
In December 2023 Wellington had 6 sunny days, 19 cloudy days, and 6 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +19°C, with an absolute maximum of +22°C and a minimum of +16°C. The average humidity was 85%, with a maximum of 97% and a minimum of 65%. The average wind speed was 7 m/s, with a maximum of 16 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in December?

Climate Change over Years

This is how Wellington climate have been changing during last 43 years period.

The climate in Wellington in December has not changed much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1992 (+14°C) and the highest in 2022 (+17°C). The driest year was 2007 with only 644 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2022 with 2261 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Wellington in December:

Is December a good time to visit Wellington?

It’s always a good time to visit Wellington, 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 Wellington in December?

December has mild temperatures in Wellington. Not ideal for sunbathing, but still good for daytime outdoor activities, but plan for cool evenings. Pack a light jacket and shorts!

Is Wellington rainy in December?

Wellington 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 Wellington in December?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Wellington in December, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in New Zealand

Check out the weather for other cities in New Zealand.

Monthly weather in Wellington

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Wellington, 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.