Rio de Janeiro weather in December
In December, Rio de Janeiro has an average high of 28 °C82 °F and an average low of 23 °C73 °F, with about 232 mm9.1 in of precipitation. It is the 4th warmest month of the year and the wettest.
How December compares with other months
Compared with November, December is 1.3 °C2.3 °F warmer on average and wetter by 12 mm0.5 in. Compared with January, December is 1 °C1.7 °F cooler on average and wetter by 25 mm1.0 in. Daylight lasts about 13.5 hours around the middle of the month. Average relative humidity is 84% and the average cloud amount 75%.
Is December a good time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
December is not among the most comfortable months by our comfort score: it is fairly wet (232 mm9.1 in) and it is humid (84%). The most comfortable months in Rio de Janeiro are May–September.
What to wear in December
For Rio de Janeiro in December, pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
December in nearby places
| Place | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | 2882 | 2373 | 2329.1 |
| Nova Iguaçu | 2883 | 2272 | 2319.1 |
| Maricá | 2882 | 2373 | 2329.1 |
| Itaboraí | 3188 | 2271 | 2289.0 |
| Queimados | 3391 | 2170 | 2048.0 |
| Petrópolis | 2679 | 1662 | 2289.0 |
| Araruama | 2882 | 2373 | 2218.7 |
| Nova Friburgo | 2578 | 1662 | 2299.0 |
| Volta Redonda | 3085 | 2068 | 2178.5 |
Nearby places that are more than 1 °C1.8 °F warmer in December: Itaboraí and Queimados; cooler: Petrópolis and Nova Friburgo.
Other months in Rio de Janeiro
- January29 °C84 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- February29 °C84 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- March28 °C83 °F / 24 °C74 °F
- April27 °C81 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- May25 °C77 °F / 20 °C69 °F
- June25 °C77 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- July24 °C76 °F / 18 °C65 °F
- August25 °C77 °F / 18 °C65 °F
- September26 °C78 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- October26 °C80 °F / 20 °C68 °F
- November27 °C80 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- December28 °C82 °F / 23 °C73 °F
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Rio de Janeiro in December?
In December the average high in Rio de Janeiro is 28 °C (82 °F) and the average low is 23 °C (73 °F).
Does it rain a lot in Rio de Janeiro in December?
On average about 232 mm (9.1 in) of precipitation falls in December; it ranks 1st of the 12 months.
Is December the warmest month in Rio de Janeiro?
No. The warmest month in Rio de Janeiro is February, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F). The coldest month is August, with an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
How long is the day in Rio de Janeiro in December?
In the middle of December the day in Rio de Janeiro lasts about 13.5 hours from sunrise to sunset. The value is calculated from the position of the city and the sun.
How humid is Rio de Janeiro in December?
The average relative humidity in December is about 84%. Combined with warm days, it can feel muggy.
How cloudy is Rio de Janeiro in December?
On average about 75% 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 81 m, while Rio de Janeiro lies at about 12 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.