Johannesburg weather in December
In December, Johannesburg has an average high of 27 °C80 °F and an average low of 13 °C56 °F, with about 127 mm5.0 in of precipitation. It is the 2nd warmest month of the year and the wettest.
How December compares with other months
Compared with November, December is 0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer on average and wetter by 38 mm1.5 in. Compared with January, December is about the same temperature. Daylight lasts about 13.8 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 63% and the average cloud amount 66%.
Is December a good time to visit Johannesburg?
December is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is fairly wet (127 mm5.0 in). The most comfortable months in Johannesburg are February–May and August–November.
What to wear in December
For Johannesburg in December, pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
December in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 2780 | 1356 | 1275.0 |
| Alberton | 2983 | 1558 | 1174.6 |
| Roodepoort | 2780 | 1456 | 1275.0 |
| Soweto | 2883 | 1458 | 1174.6 |
| Thembisa | 2882 | 1558 | 1275.0 |
| Krugersdorp | 2781 | 1457 | 1234.9 |
| Etwatwa | 2882 | 1458 | 1265.0 |
| Nigel | 2882 | 1457 | 1254.9 |
| Pretoria | 3086 | 1662 | 1124.4 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F warmer in December: Alberton, Soweto, Thembisa and Nigel.
Other months in Johannesburg
- January27 °C80 °F / 14 °C56 °F
- February27 °C80 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- March25 °C77 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- April22 °C72 °F / 8 °C47 °F
- May19 °C67 °F / 4 °C40 °F
- June16 °C61 °F / 1 °C34 °F
- July16 °C62 °F / 0 °C33 °F
- August20 °C68 °F / 3 °C38 °F
- September25 °C77 °F / 7 °C45 °F
- October27 °C80 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- November27 °C80 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- December27 °C80 °F / 13 °C56 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Johannesburg in December?
In December the average high in Johannesburg is 27 °C (80 °F) and the average low is 13 °C (56 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Johannesburg in December?
On average about 127 mm (5.0 in) of precipitation falls in December; it ranks 1st of the 12 months.
Is December the warmest month in Johannesburg?
No. The warmest month in Johannesburg is November, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F). The coldest month is July, with an average low of 0 °C (33 °F).
How long is the day in Johannesburg in December?
In the middle of December the day in Johannesburg lasts about 13.8 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Johannesburg in December?
The average relative humidity in December is about 63%. This is a long-term average for the whole day.
How cloudy is Johannesburg in December?
On average about 66% 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,538 m, while Johannesburg lies at about 1,767 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.5 °C2.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.