December is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill, with average highs near 15.9°C and lows around 10.3°C (mean 13.1°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 112 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Invercargill was 2005 — when the month averaged 15.7°C — while the coldest was 2004 at 10.3°C. Typical December days reach 15.9°C with nights near 10.3°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
December is about average for rainfall in Invercargill, averaging 112 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2004 with 207 mm, while the driest was 2011 at 38 mm.
Relative humidity in Invercargill during December averages 78%. The most humid December was 1981 at 80%, and the least humid was 1989 at 74%.
December receives about 6.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Invercargill. The sunniest December was 2011 at 6.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1984 at 5.3.
Average wind speed in Invercargill during December is 4.2 m/s. The windiest December was 1990 at 5.6 m/s, while the calmest was 2011 at 2.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 13.2°C | 12.4°C | 12.8°C | 13.7°C | 13.6°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 15.9°C | 15.2°C | 15.5°C | 16.5°C | 16.4°C | +0.5°C |
| Avg Low | 10.4°C | 9.7°C | 10.1°C | 10.8°C | 10.8°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 132 mm | 113 mm | 114 mm | 96 mm | 103 mm | -29 mm |
December temperatures in Invercargill have risen by about 0.7°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of 6°C (2014) to a record high of 24°C (2005).
Rainfall in December is about average for rainfall, averaging 112 mm, with a wettest year of 207 mm.
One of the best times to visit Invercargill
December is one of the best times to visit Invercargill. Expect days averaging 15.9°C and nights around 10.3°C (mean 13.1°C) — warmer than Invercargill's yearly average — with higher rainfall (112 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 | 15.5°C | 13.0°C | 10.4°C | 20.0°C | 7.7°C | 113 mm | 76% | 4.3 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 17.2°C | 14.4°C | 11.7°C | 22.2°C | 7.2°C | 134 mm | 80% | 4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2023 | 16.4°C | 13.5°C | 10.6°C | 22.4°C | 7.4°C | 102 mm | 77% | 4.4 m/s | 6 |
| 2022 | 17.3°C | 14.2°C | 11.1°C | 21.8°C | 7.3°C | 70 mm | 79% | 3.5 m/s | 6 |
| 2021 | 16.5°C | 13.7°C | 10.8°C | 20.5°C | 8.0°C | 89 mm | 77% | 4.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2020 | 15.7°C | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 21.1°C | 6.1°C | 110 mm | 78% | 4.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2019 | 15.1°C | 12.7°C | 10.2°C | 21.4°C | 8.9°C | 145 mm | 78% | 4.6 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 17.2°C | 14.4°C | 11.6°C | 22.3°C | 8.9°C | 52 mm | 77% | 3.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2017 | 18.2°C | 15.3°C | 12.5°C | 22.7°C | 9.2°C | 93 mm | 75% | 3.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2016 | 15.5°C | 12.8°C | 10.2°C | 23.2°C | 7.7°C | 72 mm | 76% | 4.8 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2015 | 15.6°C | 12.8°C | 9.9°C | 23.6°C | 7.5°C | 86 mm | 78% | 4.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2014 | 16.8°C | 13.5°C | 10.1°C | 22.5°C | 6.0°C | 91 mm | 78% | 3.2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2013 | 16.3°C | 13.5°C | 10.7°C | 23.1°C | 7.9°C | 130 mm | 79% | 3.9 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2012 | 16.2°C | 13.4°C | 10.7°C | 21.8°C | 9.2°C | 133 mm | 77% | 4.1 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2011 | 17.7°C | 14.4°C | 11.1°C | 23.6°C | 8.3°C | 38 mm | 76% | 2.9 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2010 | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 11.0°C | 22.0°C | 7.1°C | 120 mm | 77% | 4.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2009 | 15.1°C | 12.2°C | 9.3°C | 19.7°C | 6.1°C | 134 mm | 77% | 4.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2008 | 15.4°C | 12.7°C | 9.9°C | 20.7°C | 7.0°C | 95 mm | 78% | 3.8 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2007 | 16.4°C | 13.3°C | 10.3°C | 21.9°C | 7.1°C | 101 mm | 78% | 3.6 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2006 | 13.8°C | 11.3°C | 8.8°C | 17.8°C | 6.9°C | 93 mm | 78% | 4.1 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2005 🔥 | 18.6°C | 15.7°C | 12.8°C | 24.0°C | 9.1°C | 125 mm | 80% | 3.2 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2004 ❄️ 🌧️ | 12.4°C | 10.3°C | 8.2°C | 18.6°C | 6.5°C | 207 mm | 80% | 5.1 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2003 | 15.3°C | 12.5°C | 9.7°C | 21.9°C | 6.9°C | 81 mm | 76% | 4.7 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2002 | 15.4°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 20.7°C | 8.0°C | 122 mm | 78% | 4.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 16.5°C | 13.9°C | 11.2°C | 22.0°C | 7.2°C | 84 mm | 79% | 3.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 16.3°C | 13.5°C | 10.7°C | 21.1°C | 8.1°C | 102 mm | 77% | 4.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1999 | 15.2°C | 12.5°C | 9.9°C | 20.3°C | 7.2°C | 64 mm | 76% | 4.3 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1998 | 15.8°C | 13.0°C | 10.1°C | 22.4°C | 7.8°C | 99 mm | 79% | 4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1997 | 14.0°C | 11.3°C | 8.6°C | 21.1°C | 6.2°C | 143 mm | 77% | 4.9 m/s | 6 |
| 1996 | 15.2°C | 12.5°C | 9.9°C | 19.9°C | 7.4°C | 79 mm | 76% | 4.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1995 | 15.5°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 21.2°C | 6.2°C | 183 mm | 79% | 3.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1994 | 14.7°C | 12.1°C | 9.6°C | 21.0°C | 7.1°C | 109 mm | 77% | 5 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1993 | 15.7°C | 12.7°C | 9.7°C | 23.5°C | 6.7°C | 137 mm | 79% | 3.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1992 | 15.3°C | 12.1°C | 9.0°C | 22.4°C | 6.4°C | 103 mm | 76% | 3.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1991 | 15.7°C | 12.6°C | 9.6°C | 20.3°C | 6.7°C | 44 mm | 78% | 3.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1990 | 15.3°C | 12.8°C | 10.3°C | 21.3°C | 7.5°C | 165 mm | 76% | 5.6 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1989 | 15.6°C | 13.0°C | 10.4°C | 20.7°C | 7.9°C | 161 mm | 74% | 4.7 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1988 | 17.1°C | 14.2°C | 11.3°C | 22.5°C | 7.5°C | 123 mm | 77% | 4.2 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 14.9°C | 12.3°C | 9.7°C | 20.5°C | 7.6°C | 89 mm | 77% | 4.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1986 | 16.7°C | 13.7°C | 10.8°C | 23.0°C | 7.6°C | 110 mm | 77% | 3.4 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1985 | 17.1°C | 13.9°C | 10.8°C | 23.1°C | 6.5°C | 89 mm | 77% | 3.3 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1984 | 16.9°C | 13.9°C | 11.0°C | 21.5°C | 8.6°C | 145 mm | 77% | 3.2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1983 | 14.5°C | 12.0°C | 9.4°C | 21.9°C | 7.5°C | 190 mm | 77% | 4.9 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 14.1°C | 11.7°C | 9.3°C | 19.3°C | 6.7°C | 122 mm | 77% | 4.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 11.1°C | 21.3°C | 8.4°C | 156 mm | 80% | 4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 15.9°C with lows near 10.3°C (mean 13.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 112 mm of rainfall in Invercargill, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 207 mm in 2004.
The hottest December reached 24°C in 2005. The coldest dipped to 6°C in 2014.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.7°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.8°C to 16.6°C and overnight lows from 10.3°C to 10.9°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Invercargill and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 15.9°C daytime highs and 10.3°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 9th coolest month in Invercargill, averaging 13.1°C.
For December in Invercargill, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15.9°C and lows of 10.3°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 4.2 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 5.6 m/s (1990).
The wettest December on record was 2004 with 207 mm. On average, December sees 112 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 Invercargill 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.
