Sydney in December
In December, Sydney has 62.5 mm (2.46 in) of rain, a daily high of 25.6 °C (78.1 °F) and a daily low of 18.1 °C (64.6 °F), as 1991-2020 model estimates; figures in brackets are converted. The daily high is a model estimate, adjusted against station records.
Last updated : first sourced version.
Best time to visit Sydney: December meets our rule. Expect 6.4 rain days (model estimate).
What December is like in Sydney
- Fireworks shimmer over the harbour on New Year's Eve. There is an early show and a midnight show. Each is set to its own soundtrack. Source: City of Sydney: Sydney unites to farewell 2025, checked .
- Carols and Christmas songs ring out with the grand organ at Sydney Town Hall in December. Free Christmas concerts are held in Rushcutters Bay and Glebe too. Source: City of Sydney: what to do in Sydney this December, checked .
- Swimmers splash in the Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain, a tidal harbour pool open from October to April. At low tide, a small strip of sand appears. Source: Sydney.com (Destination NSW): The best ocean pools in Sydney, checked .
Key figures
Weather in December, 1991-2020 model estimates
- Daily high
- 25.6 °C (78.1 °F)
- Daily low
- 18.1 °C (64.6 °F)
- Rain
- 62.5 mm (2.46 in) in the month
- Sunshine
- no data
Model estimate 1991-2020, not a weather station: ERA5-Land model estimates (Copernicus), computed by City by Month for the grid cell nearest the city. Daily high and Days with rain: model estimate, adjusted against station records. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Checked . How we make and test model estimates
Model estimate for the ERA5-Land grid cell at 33.9° S, 151.2° E, 4 km from the city centre point.
How we define and convert these figures
Notes. Sunshine: Not in our ERA5-Land estimates.
Daylight on 15 December 2026
- Sunrise
- 05:38 local time
- Sunset
- 20:02 local time
- Day length
- 14 h 24 min
Day length 1-31 December: 14 h 14 min to 14 h 23 min, +9 min.
Source: NOAA Solar Calculator equations, checked .
Month by month
Each month: daily high in °C, then rain in mm, 1991-2020 model estimates.
ERA5-Land model estimates 1991-2020, as above, checked .
This month against the year
| Measure | December | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Daily high | 25.6 °C | 3rd warmest |
| Daily low | 18.1 °C | 4th warmest |
| Rain | 62.5 mm | 5th driest |
| Sunshine | no data | no data |
| Day length | 14 h 24 min | longest |
Equal values share a rank. How we rank months
Sydney in December, on average: 6.4 rain days (1 mm or more). Model estimate, adjusted against station records.
ERA5-Land model estimates 1991-2020, as above, checked .
Day length: NOAA solar equations, checked .
Public holidays this month
| Date | Holiday | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Christmas Day | national |
| Saturday | Boxing Day | national |
| Monday | Boxing Day (observed) | regional |
| Date | Holiday | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Christmas Day | national |
| Sunday | Boxing Day | national |
| Monday | Christmas Day (observed) | regional |
| Tuesday | Boxing Day (observed) | regional |
Checked against the official list, .
Regional holidays are for AU-NSW. How we check holidays
Source: holidays Python library, checked . Library: holidays 0.105.
Same month in 8 model-estimate cities
Sydney is warmer than 5 of our 8 model-estimate cities in December by mean daily high. How we rank cities
Closest high and low in December: Melbourne (3.2 °C apart), Mumbai (4.0), Bangkok (4.9).
| City | Gap from Sydney, °C | High, °C | Low, °C | Rain, mm | Sunshine, hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney (this page) | — | 25.6 | 18.1 | 62.5 | no data |
| Melbourne (closest) | 3.2 | 24.4 | 12.9 | 64.0 | no data |
| Mumbai (closest) | 4.0 | 31.4 | 20.2 | no data | no data |
| Bangkok (closest) | 4.9 | 31.6 | 21.9 | no data | no data |
| Delhi | 5.6 | 23.2 | 9.3 | no data | no data |
| Lisbon | 8.7 | 15.8 | 10.5 | 77.9 | no data |
| Porto | 10.8 | 14.7 | 7.5 | 150.9 | no data |
| Istanbul | 13.3 | 11.1 | 6.0 | 99.3 | no data |
Sources (1991-2020): ERA5-Land model estimates, checked . Each city's page names its grid cell. All sources in full on Methodology.
Sources
- Attribution: Copernicus Climate Change Service (2025): ERA5 Land hourly time-series data from 1950 to present. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS). DOI: 10.24381/ee82e357. Accessed on the check date shown. Generated using or contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2025. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Checked .
- NOAA Solar Calculator equations, computed locally, NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (method); City by Month (computation). Attribution: Computed with the NOAA Solar Calculator method (no NOAA endorsement implied). Licence: Method, not data. Checked .
- holidays Python library, run locally. Attribution: holidays library, Vacanza team. Licence: MIT. Checked .
Cite this page: City by Month. "Sydney in December: weather, daylight, holidays". https://citybymonth.com/cities/australia/sydney/december/. Last updated 8 November 2026.