Istanbul weather in December
In December, Istanbul has an average high of 10 °C50 °F and an average low of 6 °C42 °F, with about 82 mm3.2 in of precipitation. It is the 10th warmest month of the year and the wettest.
How December compares with other months
Compared with November, December is 4.5 °C8 °F cooler on average and wetter by 19 mm0.8 in. Compared with January, December is 2 °C3.6 °F warmer on average. Daylight lasts about 9.2 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 82% and the average cloud amount 74%.
Is December a good time to visit Istanbul?
December is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is cool (average high 10 °C50 °F) and it is fairly wet (82 mm3.2 in). The most comfortable months in Istanbul are May–October.
What to wear in December
For Istanbul in December, pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
December in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 1050 | 642 | 823.2 |
| Üsküdar | 1050 | 642 | 823.2 |
| Ümraniye | 1050 | 541 | 903.5 |
| Küçükçekmece | 1050 | 542 | 823.2 |
| Maltepe | 1049 | 541 | 903.5 |
| İzmit | 1151 | 337 | 923.6 |
| Nilüfer | 1253 | 338 | 903.5 |
| Bursa | 1152 | 337 | 903.5 |
| Çorlu | 949 | 337 | 783.1 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F cooler: İzmit, Bursa and Çorlu.
Other months in Istanbul
- January8 °C47 °F / 4 °C38 °F
- February9 °C49 °F / 4 °C39 °F
- March12 °C53 °F / 6 °C42 °F
- April16 °C60 °F / 9 °C48 °F
- May21 °C70 °F / 14 °C57 °F
- June26 °C79 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- July29 °C84 °F / 22 °C71 °F
- August29 °C84 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- September25 °C77 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- October20 °C68 °F / 14 °C58 °F
- November15 °C59 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- December10 °C50 °F / 6 °C42 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Istanbul in December?
In December the average high in Istanbul is 10 °C (50 °F) and the average low is 6 °C (42 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Istanbul in December?
On average about 82 mm (3.2 in) of precipitation falls in December; it ranks 1st of the 12 months.
Is December the warmest month in Istanbul?
No. The warmest month in Istanbul is August, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F). The coldest month is January, with an average low of 4 °C (38 °F).
How long is the day in Istanbul in December?
In the middle of December the day in Istanbul lasts about 9.2 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Istanbul in December?
The average relative humidity in December is about 82%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Istanbul in December?
On average about 74% of the sky is covered by cloud in December. This is the mean cloud amount from satellite data, not the number of sunny days.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.