December is one of the warmer months of the year in Atherton, with average highs near 29.5°C and lows around 20.4°C (mean 25°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 191 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Atherton. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Atherton was 2019 — when the month averaged 26.7°C — while the coldest was 2000 at 22.4°C. Typical December days reach 29.5°C with nights near 20.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Atherton, averaging 191 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2010 with 528 mm, while the driest was 2017 at 12 mm.
Relative humidity in Atherton during December averages 78%. The most humid December was 2010 at 91%, and the least humid was 2017 at 68%.
December receives about 6.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Atherton. The sunniest December was 2017 at 7.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2000 at 5.4.
Average wind speed in Atherton during December is 1.1 m/s. The windiest December was 1990 at 1.5 m/s, while the calmest was 1985 at 0.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 24.6°C | 24.6°C | 24.9°C | 25.3°C | 25.6°C | +1°C |
| Avg High | 29.3°C | 29.1°C | 29.4°C | 30.1°C | 30.0°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 20.0°C | 20.2°C | 20.4°C | 20.6°C | 21.2°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 158 mm | 224 mm | 195 mm | 162 mm | 227 mm | +69 mm |
December temperatures in Atherton have risen by about 0.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of 14.4°C (1998) to a record high of 38.8°C (2018).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 191 mm, with a wettest year of 528 mm.
A quieter season to visit Atherton
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of October and September tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Atherton. That said, December — with days averaging 29.5°C and nights around 20.4°C (mean 25°C) and higher rainfall (191 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the warmth, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29.4°C | 25.2°C | 20.9°C | 33.4°C | 18.9°C | 252 mm | 79% | 1.2 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 29.4°C | 25.6°C | 21.7°C | 33.6°C | 19.2°C | 295 mm | 84% | 0.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2023 | 29.5°C | 25.5°C | 21.6°C | 36.7°C | 20.0°C | 369 mm | 81% | 1.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 29.5°C | 25.0°C | 20.5°C | 36.3°C | 17.4°C | 199 mm | 78% | 1.1 m/s | 6 |
| 2021 | 30.7°C | 25.9°C | 21.1°C | 34.0°C | 19.7°C | 104 mm | 75% | 1.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2020 | 31.2°C | 26.3°C | 21.3°C | 37.2°C | 17.3°C | 145 mm | 73% | 1.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2019 🔥 | 32.9°C | 26.7°C | 20.6°C | 38.2°C | 18.5°C | 34 mm | 68% | 1.3 m/s | 7 |
| 2018 | 29.5°C | 25.6°C | 21.6°C | 38.8°C | 17.4°C | 327 mm | 81% | 1.4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2017 | 32.0°C | 26.2°C | 20.4°C | 34.3°C | 19.2°C | 12 mm | 68% | 1.3 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2016 | 31.2°C | 25.8°C | 20.4°C | 35.1°C | 18.4°C | 31 mm | 70% | 1.3 m/s | 7 |
| 2015 | 28.5°C | 24.5°C | 20.6°C | 34.7°C | 19.1°C | 266 mm | 79% | 1.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2014 | 31.7°C | 26.3°C | 20.8°C | 34.6°C | 19.1°C | 67 mm | 71% | 1.1 m/s | 7 |
| 2013 | 28.7°C | 23.8°C | 18.9°C | 34.7°C | 15.8°C | 77 mm | 76% | 1.2 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2012 | 31.4°C | 25.7°C | 20.1°C | 37.4°C | 17.7°C | 89 mm | 69% | 1.3 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2011 | 27.9°C | 24.4°C | 20.9°C | 31.9°C | 19.4°C | 186 mm | 85% | 1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2010 🌧️ | 26.9°C | 24.1°C | 21.3°C | 28.9°C | 19.6°C | 528 mm | 91% | 0.9 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 29.7°C | 24.8°C | 19.9°C | 33.8°C | 17.9°C | 115 mm | 76% | 1.2 m/s | 7 |
| 2008 | 30.0°C | 25.5°C | 21.0°C | 34.0°C | 18.3°C | 182 mm | 79% | 1 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2007 | 28.9°C | 24.7°C | 20.5°C | 34.6°C | 18.6°C | 283 mm | 81% | 1.1 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2006 | 28.0°C | 23.7°C | 19.4°C | 33.0°C | 16.3°C | 198 mm | 81% | 1.4 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2005 | 31.9°C | 26.3°C | 20.7°C | 35.6°C | 17.9°C | 88 mm | 70% | 1.2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2004 | 28.8°C | 24.7°C | 20.7°C | 32.3°C | 17.3°C | 248 mm | 82% | 1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2003 | 29.9°C | 25.4°C | 20.9°C | 35.7°C | 18.7°C | 281 mm | 79% | 1.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2002 | 30.8°C | 25.7°C | 20.7°C | 36.2°C | 18.3°C | 87 mm | 73% | 1.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2001 | 30.7°C | 25.8°C | 21.0°C | 35.6°C | 16.7°C | 88 mm | 76% | 0.9 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2000 ❄️ | 25.2°C | 22.4°C | 19.6°C | 28.6°C | 17.5°C | 383 mm | 90% | 1.2 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1999 | 25.7°C | 22.5°C | 19.4°C | 28.1°C | 16.3°C | 329 mm | 88% | 1.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1998 | 27.3°C | 23.6°C | 20.0°C | 31.0°C | 14.4°C | 255 mm | 86% | 1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 29.3°C | 25.2°C | 21.1°C | 33.3°C | 19.1°C | 397 mm | 81% | 1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1996 | 29.9°C | 25.2°C | 20.5°C | 37.2°C | 17.4°C | 201 mm | 78% | 1.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1995 | 31.1°C | 26.0°C | 20.9°C | 37.9°C | 18.1°C | 102 mm | 73% | 1.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1994 | 28.0°C | 23.5°C | 19.0°C | 32.5°C | 16.4°C | 123 mm | 78% | 1.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1993 | 28.8°C | 24.2°C | 19.6°C | 35.1°C | 16.7°C | 139 mm | 78% | 1.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1992 | 28.9°C | 24.6°C | 20.2°C | 38.6°C | 18.7°C | 281 mm | 79% | 1.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1991 | 31.8°C | 26.0°C | 20.2°C | 36.7°C | 17.6°C | 101 mm | 69% | 0.9 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1990 | 30.0°C | 25.4°C | 20.8°C | 33.6°C | 18.1°C | 311 mm | 78% | 1.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1989 | 26.1°C | 22.5°C | 19.0°C | 30.0°C | 16.5°C | 173 mm | 86% | 1 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 27.1°C | 23.8°C | 20.6°C | 29.6°C | 18.1°C | 406 mm | 88% | 1 m/s | 6 |
| 1987 | 29.1°C | 24.5°C | 20.0°C | 34.9°C | 17.8°C | 204 mm | 78% | 1.2 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1986 | 31.8°C | 25.9°C | 19.9°C | 36.4°C | 17.2°C | 61 mm | 70% | 1.2 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1985 | 31.9°C | 26.1°C | 20.4°C | 34.7°C | 17.0°C | 83 mm | 71% | 0.8 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1984 | 30.9°C | 25.8°C | 20.8°C | 35.9°C | 16.0°C | 141 mm | 76% | 1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1983 | 26.7°C | 23.0°C | 19.3°C | 32.1°C | 17.7°C | 137 mm | 82% | 1.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 30.4°C | 24.8°C | 19.3°C | 35.9°C | 16.7°C | 117 mm | 72% | 1 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 29.6°C | 25.1°C | 20.6°C | 33.9°C | 19.2°C | 103 mm | 79% | 0.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 29.5°C with lows near 20.4°C (mean 25°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 191 mm of rainfall in Atherton, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 528 mm in 2010.
The hottest December reached 38.8°C in 2018. The coldest dipped to 14.4°C in 1998.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.4°C — but days and nights have moved in opposite directions. Overnight lows rose from 20.1°C to 21.2°C while daytime highs eased from 29.9°C to 29.7°C, narrowing the gap between day and night.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Atherton and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 29.5°C daytime highs and 20.4°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 12th coolest month in Atherton, averaging 25°C.
For December in Atherton, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 29.5°C and lows of 20.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 1.1 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 1.5 m/s (1990).
The wettest December on record was 2010 with 528 mm. On average, December sees 191 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Atherton behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
