December is one of the warmer months of the year in Townsville, with average highs near 28.6°C and lows around 26.1°C (mean 27.4°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 101 mm of rainfall and 77% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Townsville. Across 45 years of records, the warmest Decembers in Townsville were 2001 and 2005 — when the month averaged 28.5°C — while the coldest was 1999 at 25.9°C. Typical December days reach 28.6°C with nights near 26.1°C. The long-term December temperature trend is broadly flat.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Townsville, averaging 101 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2010 with 354 mm, while the driest was 2017 at 7 mm.
Relative humidity in Townsville during December averages 77%. The most humid December was 2010 at 85%, and the least humid was 2013 at 72%.
December receives about 7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Townsville. The sunniest Decembers were 2013 and 2017 at 7.9 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2010 at 5.5.
Average wind speed in Townsville during December is 4.5 m/s. The windiest December was 1983 at 5.6 m/s, while the calmest was 1981 at 3.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 27.3°C | 27.2°C | 27.5°C | 27.4°C | 27.8°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg High | 28.6°C | 28.5°C | 28.7°C | 28.6°C | 28.9°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | 26.0°C | 25.9°C | 26.3°C | 26.2°C | 26.6°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Rain | 90 mm | 135 mm | 81 mm | 83 mm | 123 mm | +34 mm |
December temperatures in Townsville have risen by about 0.3°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of 22.2°C (1989) to a record high of 36.4°C (1995).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 101 mm, with a wettest year of 354 mm.
A quieter season to visit Townsville
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and June tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Townsville. That said, December — with days averaging 28.6°C and nights around 26.1°C (mean 27.4°C) and higher rainfall (101 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 | 28.8°C | 27.7°C | 26.5°C | 31.4°C | 25.3°C | 210 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 29.3°C | 28.1°C | 26.9°C | 31.4°C | 25.4°C | 194 mm | 80% | 4.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2023 | 28.8°C | 27.7°C | 26.7°C | 30.3°C | 25.6°C | 123 mm | 80% | 4.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 28.7°C | 27.4°C | 26.2°C | 31.1°C | 22.7°C | 48 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 29.1°C | 27.9°C | 26.6°C | 31.7°C | 24.8°C | 81 mm | 77% | 4.2 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2020 | 28.8°C | 27.7°C | 26.5°C | 30.9°C | 25.0°C | 82 mm | 79% | 4.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2019 | 28.8°C | 27.4°C | 26.1°C | 30.9°C | 24.8°C | 13 mm | 76% | 4.7 m/s | 7.7 |
| 2018 | 29.2°C | 27.9°C | 26.6°C | 32.0°C | 25.4°C | 155 mm | 81% | 5.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2017 | 28.8°C | 27.5°C | 26.2°C | 30.7°C | 25.5°C | 7 mm | 73% | 4.2 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2016 | 28.6°C | 27.4°C | 26.2°C | 29.3°C | 25.3°C | 19 mm | 76% | 4.2 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2015 | 28.4°C | 27.4°C | 26.3°C | 29.2°C | 25.8°C | 58 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2014 | 28.9°C | 27.7°C | 26.4°C | 31.5°C | 25.1°C | 28 mm | 76% | 4.1 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2013 | 28.2°C | 26.9°C | 25.6°C | 29.8°C | 24.4°C | 10 mm | 72% | 4.8 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2012 | 28.4°C | 27.2°C | 26.0°C | 29.9°C | 25.0°C | 66 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2011 | 28.8°C | 27.6°C | 26.3°C | 32.0°C | 25.0°C | 116 mm | 78% | 4.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2010 🌧️ | 28.3°C | 27.4°C | 26.5°C | 30.2°C | 24.7°C | 354 mm | 85% | 4 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2009 | 28.6°C | 27.4°C | 26.2°C | 29.6°C | 24.2°C | 71 mm | 74% | 4.3 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 29.3°C | 28.1°C | 26.9°C | 31.2°C | 24.0°C | 80 mm | 77% | 3.9 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2007 | 28.5°C | 27.3°C | 26.1°C | 30.5°C | 24.7°C | 129 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2006 | 27.5°C | 26.3°C | 25.1°C | 28.4°C | 24.0°C | 57 mm | 76% | 5.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2005 | 29.9°C | 28.5°C | 27.2°C | 33.3°C | 26.1°C | 41 mm | 73% | 4.2 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2004 | 28.5°C | 27.3°C | 26.2°C | 30.6°C | 24.8°C | 111 mm | 78% | 4.4 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2003 | 29.0°C | 27.7°C | 26.5°C | 30.7°C | 25.1°C | 92 mm | 76% | 4.7 m/s | 7 |
| 2002 | 28.8°C | 27.6°C | 26.4°C | 32.1°C | 25.3°C | 23 mm | 73% | 4.9 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2001 🔥 | 29.7°C | 28.5°C | 27.2°C | 32.1°C | 25.2°C | 41 mm | 76% | 4 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2000 | 27.0°C | 26.0°C | 25.0°C | 28.0°C | 23.7°C | 165 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 6 |
| 1999 ❄️ | 27.2°C | 25.9°C | 24.5°C | 30.0°C | 23.0°C | 132 mm | 79% | 5.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1998 | 28.9°C | 27.6°C | 26.4°C | 32.4°C | 24.6°C | 140 mm | 77% | 4.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1997 | 28.3°C | 27.4°C | 26.4°C | 29.3°C | 25.8°C | 277 mm | 81% | 4.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1996 | 28.9°C | 27.6°C | 26.4°C | 29.6°C | 25.4°C | 68 mm | 75% | 5 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1995 | 30.0°C | 28.4°C | 26.8°C | 36.4°C | 25.3°C | 77 mm | 74% | 4.4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1994 | 27.7°C | 26.4°C | 25.1°C | 29.4°C | 24.0°C | 117 mm | 75% | 4.7 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1993 | 28.1°C | 26.8°C | 25.5°C | 32.7°C | 24.2°C | 46 mm | 74% | 4.9 m/s | 7 |
| 1992 | 28.2°C | 26.9°C | 25.6°C | 31.6°C | 24.0°C | 146 mm | 77% | 4.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1991 | 29.4°C | 27.8°C | 26.2°C | 32.5°C | 24.4°C | 84 mm | 76% | 4 m/s | 7.5 |
| 1990 | 28.2°C | 27.0°C | 25.7°C | 30.3°C | 24.3°C | 262 mm | 80% | 5.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1989 | 27.8°C | 26.4°C | 25.0°C | 31.7°C | 22.2°C | 104 mm | 76% | 4.2 m/s | 7.5 |
| 1988 | 28.6°C | 27.3°C | 26.0°C | 31.5°C | 23.9°C | 260 mm | 80% | 4.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1987 | 28.2°C | 26.9°C | 25.7°C | 29.9°C | 24.9°C | 156 mm | 76% | 4.5 m/s | 7.3 |
| 1986 | 28.5°C | 27.3°C | 26.1°C | 29.6°C | 25.0°C | 44 mm | 75% | 4.3 m/s | 7.7 |
| 1985 | 29.3°C | 28.0°C | 26.8°C | 30.6°C | 25.7°C | 51 mm | 77% | 4 m/s | 7.8 |
| 1984 | 29.2°C | 27.8°C | 26.5°C | 34.8°C | 23.5°C | 66 mm | 79% | 4.5 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1983 | 28.0°C | 26.6°C | 25.3°C | 33.6°C | 23.8°C | 38 mm | 74% | 5.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 28.2°C | 26.8°C | 25.4°C | 31.8°C | 23.8°C | 46 mm | 75% | 4.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 29.5°C | 28.2°C | 26.8°C | 32.7°C | 25.6°C | 41 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 28.6°C with lows near 26.1°C (mean 27.4°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 101 mm of rainfall in Townsville, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 354 mm in 2010.
The hottest December reached 36.4°C in 1995. The coldest dipped to 22.2°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.3°C. Daytime highs moved from 28.8°C to 28.9°C and overnight lows from 26.2°C to 26.6°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Townsville and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 28.6°C daytime highs and 26.1°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 10th coolest month in Townsville, averaging 27.4°C.
For December in Townsville, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.6°C and lows of 26.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 77% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 4.5 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 5.6 m/s (1983).
The wettest December on record was 2010 with 354 mm. On average, December sees 101 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 Townsville 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.
