Harare weather in December

December in Harare: hot, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Harare🇿🇼 Zimbabwe · Zambia, Zimbabwe & Malawi · City77
  1. 70Jan
  2. 78Feb
  3. 85Mar
  4. 91Apr
  5. 96May
  6. 90Jun
  7. 90Jul
  8. 94Aug
  9. 91Sep
  10. 87Oct
  11. 82Nov
  12. 77Dec

#11 of 12 months in Harare · #550 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 77/100 (tier B)

Days
28°C
Nights
17°C
Wet days
17
Sun
10.2 h
Humidity
72%
Daylight
13 h
Harare, Zimbabwe
Photo: Baynham Goredema from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Traveller notes on Harare in December

Other months in Harare

Forum posters name December through February as Zimbabwe's rainy season, describing February specifically as capable of spoiling a day's plans with rain but still a genuinely lovely time of year overall, with dramatic thunderstorms posters describe as magnificent rather than just disruptive. Posters consistently recommend a raincoat or umbrella for this stretch, since heavy rain remains a real possibility right through to April. Posters generally rate April through September as Zimbabwe's best overall window, with October and November flagged as extremely hot and dry by contrast - meaning February's rain, while inconvenient at times, comes with far more moderate temperatures than those hot, dry shoulder months. Posters generally rate February as a warm, humid, occasionally rain-interrupted but still worthwhile time to visit Harare.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
August is the end of Zimbabwe's winter and the forum's verdict on the weather is simply "lovely" — Harare runs near 24°C by day but drops to about 10 at night, with no rain at all in the monthly record. It is the country's best window generally: July and August are the months regulars name for Victoria Falls, though by August the falls run at a medium level rather than full. Two honest catches. The city itself is more a practical base and transit point than a destination, with Bulawayo the more interesting city and the parks the reason most people are in the country. And the jacarandas that turn Harare purple bloom from late September into early November — August is a month too early for them.
Tripadvisor community · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Harare's card on the map.

Harare climate normals — December

Daytime high28°C / 82°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low17°C / 63°F
Feels like (high)30°C / 86°F
Rainfall148 mm / 5.8 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days17 days
Humidity72%💧 humid
Dew point15°C / 59°F
Sunshine10.2 h/day
Daylight13.2 h
Wind15 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)38🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Harare in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Quietschool holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Harare's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Toughest weatherHarare's best weather comes in April, May and August — separate windows, not one continuous season.

December coincides with Flash floods in the heavy rains.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Harare in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    The rains arrive

    15 Nov – 31 Dec · usuallyMonsoon

    Afternoon thunderstorms break the heat from about mid-November and the highveld turns green in a fortnight. Mornings stay clear; it is the four o'clock storm that reroutes the day. Source ↗

  • Hazard

    Flash floods in the heavy rains

    1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyFlood season

    Afternoon storms at the height of the rains overwhelm drains in the city centre and low-lying suburbs such as Mbare, Glen View and Budiriro. Roads flood fast; leave the CBD early when a storm builds. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Where is Harare?

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Harare in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Harare?
December in Harare: hot, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Harare on SeasonMap's comfort score (77/100).
What is the weather like in Harare in December?
In December, Harare averages a daily high of 27.9°C and a low of 17°C, with about 148.1 mm of rain over roughly 17.1 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Harare in December?
Harare has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 38 in December.