ClimateForecastDecemberJanuary >>

Weather in December in The United Kingdom

Planning a journey to the United Kingdom this December and curious over the weather conditions to await? Your essential details are found on this page, answering your query:

What is the weather like in the United Kingdom in December?

December in the United Kingdom generally has temperatures that range from cold to mild, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. In December, it is winter.

Temperatures

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is cold in Inverey at 5°C to mild in Hugh Town at 13°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 9°C in Hugh Town and -1°C in Inverey.

Precipitation

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Peterborough with an average of 56 mm to heavy rainfall in Cullipool with 279 mm.

Average sunshine

London experiences limited sunny days, amounting to roughly 54 hours of sunshine. This makes it perfect for those who prefer dimmer, cloudier settings rather than intense sunlit days

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of the United Kingdom in December, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our the United Kingdom climate page.

Where to go in the United Kingdom in December

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the the United Kingdom on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailes.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in the United Kingdom?

London

In December London generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

London
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
12°C 
5°C 
70 hours 
68 mm 
16 days 
9°C 
3°C 
54 hours 
63 mm 
16 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
9°C 
3°C 
62 hours 
60 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in London

Edinburgh

In December Edinburgh generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Edinburgh
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
10°C 
4°C 
70 hours 
80 mm 
17 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
48 hours 
85 mm 
17 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
8°C 
2°C 
54 hours 
84 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in Edinburgh

Blackpool

In December Blackpool generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Blackpool
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
12°C 
8°C 
62 hours 
154 mm 
19 days 
poor 
9°C 
5°C 
49 hours 
154 mm 
19 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
9°C 
5°C 
57 hours 
123 mm 
19 days 
poor 
Climate in Blackpool

York

In December York generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

York
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
11°C 
4°C 
67 hours 
64 mm 
17 days 
8°C 
2°C 
48 hours 
64 mm 
17 days 
poor 
January   >> January
>>  
8°C 
2°C 
42 hours 
59 mm 
18 days 
poor 
Climate in York

Torquay

In December Torquay generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Torquay
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
13°C 
8°C 
70 hours 
98 mm 
17 days 
11°C 
6°C 
53 hours 
94 mm 
18 days 
January   >> January
>>  
10°C 
5°C 
59 hours 
87 mm 
19 days 
poor 
Climate in Torquay

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in the United Kingdom.

Is December the best time to visit the United Kingdom?

In our opinion, December may not be the ideal time to visit the United Kingdom due to the typically poor weather in London.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in June, July, August and September offering mostly perfect weather in London. In contrast, January, February and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in the United Kingdom. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

  • January      
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  • October      
  • November      
  • December      
  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United Kingdom? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United Kingdom.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.