December is one of the warmer months of the year in Dunedin, with average highs near 15°C and lows around 10.5°C (mean 12.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 68 mm of rainfall and 80% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Dunedin. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Dunedin was 2017 — when the month averaged 14.7°C — while the coldest was 2004 at 10.1°C. Typical December days reach 15°C with nights near 10.5°C. The long-term December temperature trend is broadly flat.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Dunedin, averaging 68 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2005 with 137 mm, while the driest was 2011 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Dunedin during December averages 80%. The most humid December was 2005 at 86%, and the least humid were 1990 and 2003 at 75%.
December receives about 6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Dunedin. The sunniest December was 2003 at 6.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1993, 2001 and 2005 at 5.4.
Average wind speed in Dunedin during December is 4.8 m/s. The windiest December was 2004 at 6.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2011 at 4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.9°C | 12.2°C | 12.4°C | 13.2°C | 13.2°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg High | 15.0°C | 14.5°C | 14.6°C | 15.5°C | 15.4°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 10.7°C | 9.9°C | 10.3°C | 10.8°C | 11.0°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Rain | 82 mm | 65 mm | 82 mm | 53 mm | 54 mm | -27 mm |
December temperatures in Dunedin have risen by about 0.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of 6.2°C (2004) to a record high of 23.3°C (2009).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 68 mm, with a wettest year of 137 mm.
One of the best times to visit Dunedin
December is one of the best times to visit Dunedin. Expect days averaging 15°C and nights around 10.5°C (mean 12.8°C) — warmer than Dunedin's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (68 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 | 15.0°C | 12.8°C | 10.6°C | 21.4°C | 6.9°C | 81 mm | 79% | 4.3 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 15.6°C | 13.5°C | 11.4°C | 20.7°C | 8.1°C | 56 mm | 84% | 4.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2023 | 15.3°C | 13.0°C | 10.7°C | 20.6°C | 8.5°C | 52 mm | 80% | 5.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 15.3°C | 13.3°C | 11.3°C | 22.8°C | 7.8°C | 33 mm | 83% | 4.5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2021 | 15.9°C | 13.5°C | 11.2°C | 21.4°C | 9.2°C | 59 mm | 79% | 4.5 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 15.4°C | 13.0°C | 10.7°C | 23.1°C | 7.5°C | 45 mm | 78% | 5.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2019 | 15.2°C | 12.8°C | 10.4°C | 19.1°C | 8.6°C | 90 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2018 | 15.5°C | 13.5°C | 11.5°C | 20.8°C | 9.1°C | 42 mm | 82% | 4.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2017 🔥 | 17.0°C | 14.7°C | 12.5°C | 22.6°C | 9.1°C | 45 mm | 79% | 4.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2016 | 15.1°C | 12.7°C | 10.2°C | 19.1°C | 8.0°C | 49 mm | 78% | 5.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 15.0°C | 12.5°C | 10.0°C | 23.0°C | 7.5°C | 32 mm | 78% | 5.4 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2014 | 15.0°C | 12.6°C | 10.2°C | 20.9°C | 6.5°C | 30 mm | 81% | 4.8 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2013 | 15.1°C | 12.9°C | 10.7°C | 19.0°C | 8.1°C | 83 mm | 83% | 4.7 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2012 | 16.0°C | 13.4°C | 10.8°C | 20.8°C | 8.9°C | 36 mm | 79% | 4.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2011 | 15.5°C | 13.2°C | 11.0°C | 21.4°C | 8.2°C | 18 mm | 81% | 4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2010 | 15.9°C | 13.5°C | 11.1°C | 22.3°C | 7.0°C | 104 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2009 | 14.2°C | 11.9°C | 9.5°C | 23.3°C | 6.8°C | 51 mm | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 14.5°C | 12.3°C | 10.2°C | 21.3°C | 6.9°C | 66 mm | 81% | 4.3 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2007 | 15.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.4°C | 21.1°C | 8.1°C | 51 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 13.0°C | 11.0°C | 9.1°C | 18.7°C | 7.6°C | 117 mm | 81% | 5.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2005 🌧️ | 15.8°C | 13.9°C | 12.1°C | 19.9°C | 9.4°C | 137 mm | 86% | 4.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2004 ❄️ | 11.8°C | 10.1°C | 8.3°C | 16.0°C | 6.2°C | 112 mm | 81% | 6.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2003 | 15.1°C | 12.6°C | 10.2°C | 21.1°C | 7.8°C | 75 mm | 75% | 4.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2002 | 15.0°C | 12.7°C | 10.4°C | 20.2°C | 7.9°C | 85 mm | 78% | 5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 15.3°C | 13.3°C | 11.3°C | 19.9°C | 7.9°C | 56 mm | 82% | 4.5 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2000 | 16.1°C | 13.6°C | 11.1°C | 21.5°C | 8.4°C | 70 mm | 77% | 4.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 14.5°C | 12.3°C | 10.1°C | 20.7°C | 8.2°C | 49 mm | 77% | 5.2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1998 | 14.6°C | 12.6°C | 10.5°C | 22.8°C | 7.6°C | 57 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1997 | 14.0°C | 11.5°C | 8.9°C | 19.6°C | 6.7°C | 68 mm | 76% | 4.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1996 | 14.4°C | 12.3°C | 10.1°C | 19.1°C | 7.8°C | 65 mm | 79% | 4.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1995 | 15.1°C | 12.6°C | 10.1°C | 21.9°C | 7.7°C | 79 mm | 80% | 4.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1994 | 15.0°C | 12.4°C | 9.8°C | 20.4°C | 7.0°C | 41 mm | 76% | 4.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1993 | 13.6°C | 11.7°C | 9.8°C | 17.5°C | 7.3°C | 93 mm | 82% | 4.7 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1992 | 13.8°C | 11.7°C | 9.5°C | 19.1°C | 6.7°C | 89 mm | 80% | 5.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1991 | 14.2°C | 12.0°C | 9.8°C | 19.5°C | 6.7°C | 55 mm | 81% | 4.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1990 | 15.7°C | 13.2°C | 10.6°C | 20.6°C | 8.1°C | 57 mm | 75% | 5.7 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1989 | 15.1°C | 12.8°C | 10.5°C | 21.2°C | 7.5°C | 99 mm | 76% | 5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1988 | 16.8°C | 14.2°C | 11.5°C | 21.9°C | 7.9°C | 62 mm | 77% | 4.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1987 | 14.3°C | 12.2°C | 10.2°C | 19.6°C | 8.1°C | 69 mm | 80% | 5 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1986 | 15.4°C | 13.3°C | 11.1°C | 20.4°C | 8.5°C | 74 mm | 80% | 4.5 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1985 | 15.0°C | 13.0°C | 11.0°C | 21.6°C | 7.7°C | 66 mm | 81% | 4.1 m/s | 6 |
| 1984 | 15.0°C | 13.2°C | 11.3°C | 18.5°C | 9.4°C | 86 mm | 82% | 4.3 m/s | 5.5 |
| 1983 | 13.9°C | 11.8°C | 9.8°C | 18.7°C | 6.9°C | 109 mm | 79% | 5.2 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 13.9°C | 11.6°C | 9.4°C | 21.0°C | 6.5°C | 85 mm | 78% | 4.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.8°C | 13.7°C | 11.5°C | 21.8°C | 8.9°C | 84 mm | 82% | 4.7 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 15°C with lows near 10.5°C (mean 12.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 68 mm of rainfall in Dunedin, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 137 mm in 2005.
The hottest December reached 23.3°C in 2009. The coldest dipped to 6.2°C in 2004.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 14.7°C to 15.4°C and overnight lows from 10.6°C to 11°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Dunedin and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 15°C daytime highs and 10.5°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 9th coolest month in Dunedin, averaging 12.8°C.
For December in Dunedin, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15°C and lows of 10.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 80% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 4.8 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 6.8 m/s (2004).
The wettest December on record was 2005 with 137 mm. On average, December sees 68 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 Dunedin 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.
