Istanbul in December
In December, Istanbul has 99.3 mm (3.91 in) of rain, a daily high of 11.1 °C (52.0 °F) and a daily low of 6.0 °C (42.8 °F), as 1991-2020 model estimates; figures in brackets are converted. The daily high is a model estimate, adjusted against station records.
Last updated : back, with ERA5-Land model estimates.
Best time to visit Istanbul: December misses our rule: days are 4.9 °C under our 16 °C and nights are 2.0 °C under our 8 °C (model estimates). Expect 10.9 rain days (model estimate) and days that shorten by 11 min.
What December is like in Istanbul
- Visitors light candles in Saint Antoine Church on İstiklal Street on the night of 24 December, before the Christmas Eve mass begins. Source: Hürriyet Daily News, checked .
- Carts roast fragrant chestnuts over hot embers once the chill sets in, on İstiklal, Bağdat and Bahariye streets. Source: Go Türkiye (Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency), checked .
- Lüfer, the Bosphorus bluefish, with its green-grey back and silver-white belly, is caught in the strait between October and January. Source: KÜRE Encyclopedia, checked .
Key figures
Weather in December, 1991-2020 model estimates
- Daily high
- 11.1 °C (52.0 °F)
- Daily low
- 6.0 °C (42.8 °F)
- Rain
- 99.3 mm (3.91 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 41.0° N, 29.0° 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
- 08:22 local time
- Sunset
- 17:37 local time
- Day length
- 9 h 15 min
Day length 1-31 December: 9 h 27 min to 9 h 16 min, -11 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 | 11.1 °C | 3rd coldest |
| Daily low | 6.0 °C | 4th coldest |
| Rain | 99.3 mm | wettest |
| Sunshine | no data | no data |
| Day length | 9 h 15 min | shortest |
Equal values share a rank. How we rank months
Istanbul in December, on average: 10.9 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
December 2026: none.
December 2027: none.
Typed from the official lists for 2026 and 2027 and re-checked, .
Source: Official public holiday list (vakithesaplama.diyanet.gov.tr) for 2026 and 2027, checked .
Same month in 8 model-estimate cities
Istanbul is the coolest of our 8 model-estimate cities in December by mean daily high. How we rank cities
Closest high and low in December: Porto (2.6 °C apart), Lisbon (4.6), Delhi (7.7).
| City | Gap from Istanbul, °C | High, °C | Low, °C | Rain, mm | Sunshine, hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul (this page) | — | 11.1 | 6.0 | 99.3 | no data |
| Porto (closest) | 2.6 | 14.7 | 7.5 | 150.9 | no data |
| Lisbon (closest) | 4.6 | 15.8 | 10.5 | 77.9 | no data |
| Delhi (closest) | 7.7 | 23.2 | 9.3 | no data | no data |
| Melbourne | 10.1 | 24.4 | 12.9 | 64.0 | no data |
| Sydney | 13.3 | 25.6 | 18.1 | 62.5 | no data |
| Mumbai | 17.3 | 31.4 | 20.2 | no data | no data |
| Bangkok | 18.2 | 31.6 | 21.9 | no data | 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 .
Official sources
Cite this page: City by Month. "Istanbul in December: weather, daylight, holidays". https://citybymonth.com/cities/turkey/istanbul/december/. Last updated 8 November 2026.