December is one of the warmer months of the year in Gisborne, with average highs near 25.1°C and lows around 10°C (mean 17.6°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 50 mm of rainfall and 62% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Gisborne. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Gisborne was 2015 — when the month averaged 20.9°C — while the coldest was 1995 at 14.8°C. Typical December days reach 25.1°C with nights near 10°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
December is about average for rainfall in Gisborne, averaging 50 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 1985 with 131 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 6 mm.
Relative humidity in Gisborne during December averages 62%. The most humid December was 1992 at 78%, and the least humid was 2015 at 48%.
December receives about 7.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Gisborne. The sunniest December was 1994 at 8.1 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1992 at 5.9.
Average wind speed in Gisborne during December is 3.2 m/s. The windiest Decembers were 1984 and 2002 at 3.7 m/s, while the calmest was 1992 at 2.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.9°C | 17.1°C | 17.7°C | 18.4°C | 17.5°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg High | 24.2°C | 24.6°C | 25.4°C | 26.1°C | 24.9°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 9.5°C | 9.6°C | 9.9°C | 10.7°C | 10.0°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Rain | 55 mm | 56 mm | 47 mm | 44 mm | 46 mm | -9 mm |
December temperatures in Gisborne have risen by about 0.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of 2.4°C (1993) to a record high of 43.6°C (2019).
Rainfall in December is about average for rainfall, averaging 50 mm, with a wettest year of 131 mm.
One of the best times to visit Gisborne
December is one of the best times to visit Gisborne. Expect days averaging 25.1°C and nights around 10°C (mean 17.6°C) — warmer than Gisborne's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (50 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.0°C | 17.2°C | 9.5°C | 36.8°C | 4.5°C | 33 mm | 58% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 28.0°C | 19.5°C | 11.1°C | 39.2°C | 7.2°C | 25 mm | 58% | 3.1 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2023 | 24.6°C | 18.1°C | 11.5°C | 35.8°C | 8.5°C | 100 mm | 69% | 3.3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2022 | 23.0°C | 16.2°C | 9.5°C | 35.2°C | 4.2°C | 50 mm | 70% | 2.9 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2021 | 25.3°C | 17.6°C | 9.9°C | 36.8°C | 6.0°C | 27 mm | 63% | 3.3 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2020 | 23.6°C | 16.2°C | 8.7°C | 33.3°C | 5.6°C | 39 mm | 62% | 3.4 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2019 | 27.5°C | 19.1°C | 10.7°C | 43.6°C | 5.1°C | 9 mm | 54% | 3.4 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2018 | 27.5°C | 19.8°C | 12.2°C | 37.7°C | 7.2°C | 78 mm | 64% | 2.9 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 25.5°C | 18.4°C | 11.3°C | 34.9°C | 6.8°C | 88 mm | 65% | 3 m/s | 7 |
| 2016 | 26.5°C | 18.6°C | 10.7°C | 34.9°C | 4.8°C | 38 mm | 58% | 3.2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 2015 🔥 | 29.9°C | 20.9°C | 11.8°C | 41.0°C | 5.0°C | 30 mm | 48% | 3.2 m/s | 7.9 |
| 2014 | 26.0°C | 18.2°C | 10.4°C | 34.4°C | 6.4°C | 33 mm | 61% | 3.1 m/s | 7 |
| 2013 | 25.7°C | 17.7°C | 9.6°C | 38.5°C | 3.2°C | 33 mm | 61% | 3 m/s | 7 |
| 2012 | 26.1°C | 18.3°C | 10.4°C | 37.1°C | 7.4°C | 20 mm | 57% | 3.3 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2011 | 24.8°C | 17.6°C | 10.5°C | 34.0°C | 3.4°C | 45 mm | 65% | 3.1 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2010 | 21.7°C | 15.7°C | 9.6°C | 35.3°C | 4.1°C | 68 mm | 75% | 2.9 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2009 | 25.3°C | 17.3°C | 9.2°C | 35.9°C | 5.4°C | 42 mm | 62% | 2.9 m/s | 7.5 |
| 2008 | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 9.2°C | 30.3°C | 5.9°C | 78 mm | 65% | 3.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2007 | 26.3°C | 18.8°C | 11.2°C | 38.4°C | 5.1°C | 78 mm | 61% | 3.1 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 26.1°C | 17.7°C | 9.3°C | 41.1°C | 5.1°C | 17 mm | 50% | 3.4 m/s | 7.8 |
| 2005 | 27.0°C | 18.6°C | 10.2°C | 42.3°C | 5.7°C | 45 mm | 53% | 3.4 m/s | 7.3 |
| 2004 | 23.9°C | 17.1°C | 10.2°C | 34.6°C | 5.7°C | 70 mm | 67% | 3 m/s | 7 |
| 2003 | 27.8°C | 19.6°C | 11.4°C | 37.4°C | 7.3°C | 45 mm | 59% | 3.1 m/s | 7.1 |
| 2002 | 26.3°C | 18.5°C | 10.6°C | 37.5°C | 5.0°C | 35 mm | 57% | 3.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2001 | 21.6°C | 15.0°C | 8.3°C | 33.7°C | 5.2°C | 34 mm | 66% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2000 | 26.3°C | 18.0°C | 9.7°C | 37.0°C | 4.8°C | 25 mm | 59% | 3.3 m/s | 7.8 |
| 1999 | 24.2°C | 17.1°C | 9.9°C | 34.9°C | 5.5°C | 105 mm | 62% | 3.5 m/s | 7 |
| 1998 | 25.8°C | 17.9°C | 10.1°C | 38.8°C | 5.0°C | 41 mm | 62% | 3.2 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1997 | 26.4°C | 18.3°C | 10.3°C | 34.7°C | 7.5°C | 6 mm | 59% | 3.4 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1996 | 24.0°C | 16.0°C | 8.0°C | 33.7°C | 4.3°C | 23 mm | 60% | 3.2 m/s | 7.2 |
| 1995 ❄️ | 21.9°C | 14.8°C | 7.6°C | 29.9°C | 2.8°C | 41 mm | 68% | 3.4 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1994 | 28.8°C | 19.9°C | 11.0°C | 37.6°C | 3.2°C | 12 mm | 50% | 3.2 m/s | 8.1 |
| 1993 | 22.4°C | 15.6°C | 8.7°C | 29.6°C | 2.4°C | 99 mm | 70% | 3.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1992 | 22.0°C | 16.5°C | 11.0°C | 29.4°C | 4.9°C | 109 mm | 78% | 2.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1991 | 23.5°C | 16.5°C | 9.5°C | 33.8°C | 3.4°C | 99 mm | 66% | 3 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1990 | 27.2°C | 18.8°C | 10.4°C | 38.5°C | 5.3°C | 27 mm | 58% | 3.3 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1989 | 25.9°C | 18.0°C | 10.1°C | 35.4°C | 6.4°C | 21 mm | 59% | 3.2 m/s | 7.4 |
| 1988 | 25.2°C | 17.9°C | 10.5°C | 36.2°C | 5.0°C | 73 mm | 68% | 3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1987 | 23.4°C | 16.2°C | 8.9°C | 34.5°C | 4.3°C | 88 mm | 65% | 3.3 m/s | 7 |
| 1986 | 22.4°C | 15.2°C | 7.9°C | 32.5°C | 3.7°C | 72 mm | 66% | 3.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1985 🌧️ | 21.9°C | 15.9°C | 9.9°C | 28.7°C | 6.3°C | 131 mm | 73% | 3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1984 | 23.9°C | 16.2°C | 8.5°C | 33.9°C | 4.9°C | 28 mm | 60% | 3.7 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1983 | 24.4°C | 17.1°C | 9.9°C | 35.0°C | 5.9°C | 12 mm | 64% | 3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 26.0°C | 18.1°C | 10.2°C | 35.0°C | 6.2°C | 43 mm | 55% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 24.9°C | 17.3°C | 9.7°C | 37.4°C | 6.2°C | 22 mm | 59% | 3.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 25.1°C with lows near 10°C (mean 17.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 50 mm of rainfall in Gisborne, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 131 mm in 1985.
The hottest December reached 43.6°C in 2019. The coldest dipped to 2.4°C in 1993.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 24.2°C to 25.2°C and overnight lows from 9.6°C to 10.3°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Gisborne and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 25.1°C daytime highs and 10°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 9th coolest month in Gisborne, averaging 17.6°C.
For December in Gisborne, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 25.1°C and lows of 10°C.
Relative humidity in December averages 62% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in December is 3.2 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 3.7 m/s (1984).
The wettest December on record was 1985 with 131 mm. On average, December sees 50 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 Gisborne 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.
