December is one of the cooler months of the year in Lakeland, with average highs near 23°C and lows around 11.6°C (mean 17.3°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 56 mm of rainfall and 78% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Lakeland. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Lakeland was 2015 — when the month averaged 22.2°C — while the coldest was 2010 at 11.2°C. Typical December days reach 23°C with nights near 11.6°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.6°C per decade.
December is one of the drier months in Lakeland, averaging 56 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2002 with 263 mm, while the driest was 2011 at 7 mm.
Relative humidity in Lakeland during December averages 78%. The most humid December was 1994 at 90%, and the least humid was 2010 at 64%.
December receives about 3.1 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Lakeland. The sunniest December was 2010 at 3.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1986, 1997 and 2009 at 2.6.
Average wind speed in Lakeland during December is 2.3 m/s. The windiest December was 2019 at 2.8 m/s, while the calmest was 2021 at 1.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 16.2°C | 17.1°C | 16.9°C | 18.4°C | 18.0°C | +1.8°C |
| Avg High | 21.6°C | 22.7°C | 22.7°C | 24.3°C | 23.9°C | +2.3°C |
| Avg Low | 10.8°C | 11.5°C | 11.2°C | 12.5°C | 12.0°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 61 mm | 60 mm | 67 mm | 43 mm | 44 mm | -18 mm |
December temperatures in Lakeland have risen by about 2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -7°C (1989) to a record high of 30.5°C (2000).
Rainfall in December is one of the drier months, averaging 56 mm, with a wettest year of 263 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.7°C per decade while lows rose 0.4°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
A good time to visit Lakeland
December is a good time to visit Lakeland, with days averaging 23°C and nights around 11.6°C (mean 17.3°C, cooler than Lakeland's yearly average) and moderate rainfall. April and October are marginally more temperate, but December still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25.4°C | 19.1°C | 12.8°C | 30.0°C | 1.6°C | 48 mm | 77% | 2.2 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 24.4°C | 18.1°C | 11.7°C | 29.1°C | 2.8°C | 27 mm | 76% | 2.5 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2023 | 22.8°C | 17.9°C | 12.9°C | 29.8°C | 6.4°C | 78 mm | 80% | 2.7 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2022 | 22.1°C | 16.7°C | 11.4°C | 26.7°C | -2.5°C | 46 mm | 81% | 2 m/s | 3 |
| 2021 | 26.9°C | 20.7°C | 14.5°C | 29.7°C | 5.7°C | 28 mm | 80% | 1.8 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 21.7°C | 15.3°C | 9.0°C | 27.7°C | 0.8°C | 37 mm | 76% | 2.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 24.5°C | 19.0°C | 13.5°C | 29.4°C | 3.7°C | 97 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 3 |
| 2018 | 23.1°C | 17.7°C | 12.3°C | 29.9°C | 3.4°C | 124 mm | 80% | 2.6 m/s | 3 |
| 2017 | 24.6°C | 18.3°C | 12.1°C | 29.0°C | 1.7°C | 20 mm | 79% | 1.9 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2016 | 26.8°C | 20.8°C | 14.8°C | 30.2°C | 4.9°C | 25 mm | 74% | 2.3 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2015 🔥 | 27.2°C | 22.2°C | 17.2°C | 30.3°C | 7.1°C | 30 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 22.7°C | 17.4°C | 12.2°C | 27.3°C | 3.3°C | 33 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 3 |
| 2013 | 26.3°C | 20.1°C | 13.9°C | 30.3°C | 5.1°C | 16 mm | 75% | 2.3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2012 | 24.3°C | 18.0°C | 11.7°C | 27.9°C | 1.2°C | 56 mm | 77% | 2.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2011 | 25.4°C | 19.3°C | 13.2°C | 29.3°C | 4.5°C | 7 mm | 76% | 2.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2010 ❄️ | 18.5°C | 11.2°C | 3.9°C | 26.1°C | -3.7°C | 19 mm | 64% | 2.6 m/s | 3.7 |
| 2009 | 21.9°C | 16.9°C | 11.9°C | 28.0°C | 1.1°C | 97 mm | 82% | 2.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2008 | 24.2°C | 18.1°C | 12.0°C | 27.9°C | 1.8°C | 27 mm | 76% | 2.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2007 | 26.1°C | 20.0°C | 13.8°C | 29.1°C | 2.7°C | 33 mm | 77% | 2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2006 | 25.2°C | 20.0°C | 14.8°C | 30.0°C | 4.5°C | 64 mm | 78% | 2.5 m/s | 2.7 |
| 2005 | 21.1°C | 15.2°C | 9.4°C | 26.2°C | 2.1°C | 31 mm | 77% | 2.4 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2004 | 20.9°C | 15.2°C | 9.6°C | 27.8°C | -0.4°C | 53 mm | 80% | 2.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2003 | 21.1°C | 14.8°C | 8.5°C | 26.5°C | -0.4°C | 61 mm | 77% | 2.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2002 🌧️ | 19.9°C | 14.1°C | 8.4°C | 26.3°C | 1.6°C | 263 mm | 85% | 2.4 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2001 | 24.0°C | 18.9°C | 13.9°C | 28.3°C | 4.0°C | 22 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2000 | 22.5°C | 15.8°C | 9.2°C | 30.5°C | -3.1°C | 21 mm | 68% | 2.6 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1999 | 22.4°C | 16.6°C | 10.8°C | 28.0°C | 0.3°C | 47 mm | 77% | 2.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1998 | 25.8°C | 20.0°C | 14.1°C | 29.0°C | 4.1°C | 24 mm | 78% | 2.1 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1997 | 20.2°C | 15.6°C | 11.0°C | 26.6°C | 1.2°C | 262 mm | 88% | 2.4 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 23.6°C | 17.4°C | 11.2°C | 28.0°C | -0.7°C | 56 mm | 75% | 2.3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1995 | 20.5°C | 14.9°C | 9.4°C | 25.9°C | -2.4°C | 54 mm | 80% | 2.3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1994 | 21.9°C | 17.2°C | 12.5°C | 27.3°C | 4.1°C | 77 mm | 90% | 2.3 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1993 | 21.2°C | 15.0°C | 8.8°C | 27.1°C | 1.5°C | 31 mm | 72% | 2.5 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1992 | 22.6°C | 17.3°C | 11.9°C | 26.2°C | 2.8°C | 18 mm | 86% | 2.2 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1991 | 23.9°C | 18.2°C | 12.6°C | 29.3°C | 3.0°C | 15 mm | 75% | 2.3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 25.2°C | 19.1°C | 13.0°C | 30.0°C | 5.1°C | 20 mm | 72% | 2.2 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1989 | 18.3°C | 12.5°C | 6.6°C | 25.5°C | -7.0°C | 115 mm | 78% | 2.3 m/s | 3 |
| 1988 | 21.3°C | 15.6°C | 9.9°C | 26.6°C | -1.0°C | 29 mm | 82% | 2 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1987 | 22.0°C | 16.7°C | 11.4°C | 26.7°C | 0.2°C | 12 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1986 | 23.4°C | 18.7°C | 14.0°C | 28.9°C | 8.4°C | 96 mm | 80% | 2.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1985 | 19.9°C | 14.0°C | 8.1°C | 26.7°C | -4.5°C | 46 mm | 73% | 2.4 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1984 | 25.2°C | 19.4°C | 13.7°C | 28.5°C | 0.4°C | 8 mm | 75% | 2.1 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1983 | 20.0°C | 15.2°C | 10.5°C | 27.3°C | -6.3°C | 152 mm | 86% | 2.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 22.9°C | 18.2°C | 13.6°C | 27.3°C | 1.7°C | 24 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 21.5°C | 15.5°C | 9.5°C | 28.9°C | -2.4°C | 70 mm | 72% | 2.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 23°C with lows near 11.6°C (mean 17.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 56 mm of rainfall in Lakeland, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 263 mm in 2002.
The hottest December reached 30.5°C in 2000. The coldest dipped to -7°C in 1989.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 2°C. Daytime highs moved from 21.9°C to 24.3°C and overnight lows from 11.1°C to 12.7°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Lakeland and one of the drier months, so plan for around 23°C daytime highs and 11.6°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 2nd coolest month in Lakeland, averaging 17.3°C.
For December in Lakeland, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 23°C and lows of 11.6°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 78% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 2.3 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 2.8 m/s (2019).
The wettest December on record was 2002 with 263 mm. On average, December sees 56 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 Lakeland 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.
