December is one of the cooler months of the year in Paignton, with average highs near 9°C and lows around 5.5°C (mean 7.3°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 127 mm of rainfall and 91% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Paignton. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Paignton was 2015 — when the month averaged 10.7°C — while the coldest was 2010 at 2.6°C. Typical December days reach 9°C with nights near 5.5°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Paignton, averaging 127 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2020 with 243 mm, while the driest was 1991 at 39 mm.
Relative humidity in Paignton during December averages 91%. The most humid December was 2002 at 93%, and the least humid was 1991 at 89%.
December receives about 0.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Paignton. The sunniest Decembers were 2001, 2008 and 2014 at 0.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1998, 2002 and 2015 at 0.5.
Average wind speed in Paignton during December is 5.1 m/s. The windiest December was 2015 at 6.7 m/s, while the calmest was 2016 at 3.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 7.2°C | 6.7°C | 7.0°C | 7.7°C | 8.0°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 9.0°C | 8.5°C | 8.7°C | 9.4°C | 9.6°C | +0.6°C |
| Avg Low | 5.4°C | 4.9°C | 5.3°C | 5.9°C | 6.4°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 122 mm | 126 mm | 108 mm | 132 mm | 162 mm | +40 mm |
December temperatures in Paignton have risen by about 1.4°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -3.5°C (1996) to a record high of 14.4°C (1985).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 127 mm, with a wettest year of 243 mm.
A quieter season to visit Paignton
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Paignton. That said, December — with days averaging 9°C and nights around 5.5°C (mean 7.3°C) and higher rainfall (127 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9.8°C | 8.2°C | 6.7°C | 13.5°C | 1.1°C | 194 mm | 91% | 5.5 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 10.0°C | 8.4°C | 6.9°C | 13.8°C | 4.5°C | 87 mm | 92% | 5.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2023 | 10.7°C | 9.2°C | 7.6°C | 12.8°C | 0.2°C | 176 mm | 92% | 5.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2022 | 8.1°C | 6.4°C | 4.8°C | 12.9°C | -0.8°C | 141 mm | 92% | 4.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2021 | 10.3°C | 8.7°C | 7.1°C | 13.4°C | 3.5°C | 129 mm | 92% | 5.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2020 🌧️ | 8.8°C | 7.2°C | 5.5°C | 12.5°C | 0.9°C | 243 mm | 92% | 5.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2019 | 9.5°C | 7.8°C | 6.1°C | 12.1°C | 1.3°C | 186 mm | 90% | 5.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2018 | 10.7°C | 9.2°C | 7.7°C | 13.5°C | 3.7°C | 206 mm | 92% | 5.2 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2017 | 9.1°C | 7.3°C | 5.5°C | 12.7°C | 1.6°C | 149 mm | 91% | 5 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2016 | 10.2°C | 8.6°C | 6.9°C | 13.4°C | 2.9°C | 52 mm | 92% | 3.5 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2015 🔥 | 12.2°C | 10.7°C | 9.1°C | 13.6°C | 5.0°C | 161 mm | 91% | 6.7 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2014 | 9.1°C | 7.1°C | 5.1°C | 11.7°C | 0.0°C | 70 mm | 90% | 5.1 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2013 | 10.0°C | 7.8°C | 5.7°C | 12.3°C | 2.4°C | 114 mm | 90% | 5.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2012 | 9.1°C | 7.4°C | 5.8°C | 12.7°C | 1.1°C | 207 mm | 91% | 5.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2011 | 9.9°C | 8.2°C | 6.5°C | 12.2°C | 3.3°C | 127 mm | 89% | 5.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2010 ❄️ | 4.4°C | 2.6°C | 0.9°C | 10.2°C | -2.1°C | 49 mm | 92% | 4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2009 | 7.6°C | 5.8°C | 3.9°C | 12.0°C | -1.2°C | 117 mm | 91% | 4.5 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2008 | 7.6°C | 5.9°C | 4.3°C | 11.6°C | 1.7°C | 74 mm | 92% | 4.4 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2007 | 9.6°C | 7.8°C | 6.0°C | 13.7°C | 2.8°C | 106 mm | 89% | 5.7 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2006 | 9.9°C | 8.3°C | 6.7°C | 13.3°C | 0.8°C | 114 mm | 90% | 5.6 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2005 | 8.2°C | 6.4°C | 4.6°C | 11.5°C | -1.0°C | 112 mm | 91% | 4.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2004 | 9.4°C | 7.6°C | 5.7°C | 12.5°C | 1.7°C | 80 mm | 92% | 4.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2003 | 8.8°C | 7.2°C | 5.5°C | 12.4°C | 1.5°C | 112 mm | 90% | 4.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2002 | 8.9°C | 7.6°C | 6.2°C | 12.3°C | 0.0°C | 143 mm | 93% | 5.2 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2001 | 7.7°C | 5.7°C | 3.7°C | 13.0°C | -0.5°C | 56 mm | 90% | 4.7 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2000 | 8.9°C | 7.5°C | 6.1°C | 12.6°C | 0.2°C | 171 mm | 92% | 5.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1999 | 9.0°C | 7.2°C | 5.5°C | 12.4°C | -0.5°C | 233 mm | 90% | 6.2 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1998 | 9.4°C | 7.4°C | 5.4°C | 12.7°C | -0.5°C | 139 mm | 92% | 4.9 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1997 | 9.6°C | 7.8°C | 6.1°C | 13.3°C | 0.5°C | 134 mm | 92% | 5.3 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1996 | 6.2°C | 4.5°C | 2.9°C | 11.8°C | -3.5°C | 51 mm | 92% | 4.6 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1995 | 7.5°C | 5.6°C | 3.7°C | 13.0°C | -1.4°C | 135 mm | 92% | 4.6 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1994 | 10.4°C | 8.7°C | 7.0°C | 13.6°C | 2.3°C | 150 mm | 90% | 5.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1993 | 9.1°C | 7.2°C | 5.3°C | 12.5°C | 0.5°C | 199 mm | 90% | 6.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1992 | 8.0°C | 6.1°C | 4.2°C | 12.6°C | 0.7°C | 98 mm | 92% | 4.7 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1991 | 8.6°C | 7.0°C | 5.4°C | 12.0°C | 0.9°C | 39 mm | 89% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1990 | 7.6°C | 5.6°C | 3.7°C | 11.7°C | -0.5°C | 76 mm | 89% | 5.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1989 | 9.3°C | 7.7°C | 6.2°C | 12.6°C | 1.5°C | 168 mm | 91% | 5.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1988 | 10.0°C | 8.3°C | 6.5°C | 12.4°C | 1.8°C | 48 mm | 92% | 3.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1987 | 8.8°C | 7.5°C | 6.2°C | 12.9°C | 0.5°C | 88 mm | 92% | 5.6 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1986 | 9.4°C | 7.4°C | 5.4°C | 12.8°C | 0.2°C | 138 mm | 91% | 5.8 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1985 | 9.7°C | 8.2°C | 6.6°C | 14.4°C | -1.7°C | 133 mm | 91% | 4.7 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1984 | 9.3°C | 7.3°C | 5.2°C | 12.0°C | 1.2°C | 115 mm | 91% | 3.8 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1983 | 9.5°C | 7.5°C | 5.6°C | 12.2°C | 1.5°C | 114 mm | 90% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 8.2°C | 6.4°C | 4.6°C | 12.7°C | 1.3°C | 124 mm | 91% | 5 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 6.5°C | 4.6°C | 2.6°C | 11.1°C | -2.2°C | 168 mm | 90% | 4.8 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 9°C with lows near 5.5°C (mean 7.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 127 mm of rainfall in Paignton, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 243 mm in 2020.
The hottest December reached 14.4°C in 1985. The coldest dipped to -3.5°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.4°C. Daytime highs moved from 8.6°C to 9.8°C and overnight lows from 4.9°C to 6.6°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Paignton and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 9°C daytime highs and 5.5°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 4th coolest month in Paignton, averaging 7.3°C.
For December in Paignton, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 9°C and lows of 5.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 91% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 5.1 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 6.7 m/s (2015).
The wettest December on record was 2020 with 243 mm. On average, December sees 127 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 Paignton 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.
