Malé (Maldives) weather in December

December in Malé: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Malé🇲🇻 Maldives · Sri Lanka & the Maldives · Island75
  1. 80Jan
  2. 88Feb
  3. 85Mar
  4. 83Apr
  5. 67May
  6. 84Jun
  7. 79Jul
  8. 80Aug
  9. 78Sep
  10. 75Oct
  11. 69Nov
  12. 75Dec

#10 of 12 months in Malé · #601 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 75/100 (tier B)

Days
31°C
Nights
26°C
Wet days
18
Sun
9.9 h
Humidity
80%
Daylight
12 h
Malé, Maldives
Photo: Asad Photo Maldives · Pexels

What December is like in Malé

Dry, calm and at its most expensive, with the final fortnight the busiest of the Maldivian year.

peak

confidence: high

Traveller notes on Malé in December

Other months in Malé

Regulars are specific that the southwest monsoon driving this month's rain hits the southern atolls noticeably harder than the northern ones, southern islands averaging roughly 2,300mm of rain a year against about 1,800mm in the north - a real factor when picking which atoll to book. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 31.4C reading as a hot 36C, over 26.5C nights, with a substantial 148mm of rain across 16.8 days and humidity at 80 percent. Regulars are consistent rain here tends to arrive in short, intense bursts rather than all-day downpours, often concentrated overnight, and that this counts among the cheapest months to visit precisely because of the rainy reputation. The sea sits at a bath-warm 29.7C regardless of atoll. The record: 10 hours of sun, a 22.7 kph wind and one of the cleanest air readings in this project, AQI 25.
SouthGetsMoreRainThanNorthSameMonsoon · July · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars are clear this sits inside the dry season, past the unsettled wet-to-dry transition that wraps up in December, but is far from a calm month - genuinely windy, especially around the central atolls near Male, sometimes enough to churn up choppy seas and reduce underwater visibility. Our row backs a warm, still fairly wet read for a nominal dry-season month, 31C over 26.1C nights, with 135.9mm of rain across 11.4 days and a real 23.4 kph wind. Regulars note wind levels vary meaningfully by atoll, with the central atolls and the first half of February typically windier than other parts of the archipelago. The sea holds a warm 27.8C regardless. The record: humidity 78 percent, 10.2 hours of sun and AQI 62.
SunnyButWindyEspeciallyCentralAtolls · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Maldives-forum threads on typical April weather describe a month balanced right on the seasonal hinge: certainly hot and humid at least part of the time, with some rain likely at some point, since the end of April marks the changeover from the dry monsoon to the wet one - a shift nobody can predict the exact timing of, though it more often lands later in April or slips into May. Experiences reported directly split along that line: some visitors get hot, clear days with great visibility straight through mid-April, others get predominantly sunny stretches with occasional showers that never last long. The consistent advice is that early April runs more reliable than late April. The record: 32.4C days feeling like a sticky 39C, 27.3C nights, 97mm across 14.6 days, a 30.9C sea, 79 percent humidity and 11 hours of sun - already leaning toward the wetter half of the changeover.
MonsoonChangeoverWatcher · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
June sits inside the Maldives' south-west monsoon, which runs from about May to November and is the wetter and windier of the two. The forum's arithmetic is more useful than the label: across any fortnight expect roughly five wet and windy days, with the rest moderately windy and the odd shower, and rain that might be five minutes, an afternoon, or the whole day. Our row gives 15.6 precipitation days carrying 80.8mm and a 24.1 kph wind. Two things they add. The weather is local enough that you can sit in sunshine watching a neighbouring island get drenched; and the pattern usually gives a long break somewhere in June before July and August turn properly bad. The record: 31.7C days that feel like 36C, 27C nights and a 29.6C sea.
TheBreakComesInJune · June · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Malé climate normals — December

Daytime high31°C / 87°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low26°C / 79°F
Feels like (high)35°C / 95°F
Sea temperature29°C / 84°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall199 mm / 7.8 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days18 days
Humidity80%💦 very humid
Dew point24°C / 76°F
Sunshine9.9 h/day
Daylight11.9 h
Wind22 km/h / 13 mph
Air quality (US AQI)35🍃 good

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

Crowds in Malé 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.

Peak crowdsthe editor's peak month, Iruvai, the dry monsoon, Peak festive fortnight

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Malé'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 weatherMalé's best weather comes in February, March and June — separate windows, not one continuous season.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Malé in December

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

  • Nature

    Whale sharks in South Ari

    1 Jan – 31 Dec · usuallyDive season

    The juveniles off Maamigili are the one aggregation in the country that holds all year, which is why the day boats run out of Male in any month. Sightings thin when the southwest swell is up. Source ↗

  • Season

    Iruvai, the dry monsoon

    1 Dec – 30 AprCrowded

    The northeast monsoon brings flat water, light wind and the clearest underwater visibility of the year. It is also when the whole country charges its highest rates.

  • Season

    Peak festive fortnight

    20 Dec – 10 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

    The busiest and most expensive stretch of the Maldivian year, with minimum-stay rules and compulsory dinners at most resorts. Book it a year out or move a fortnight either side.

What's on around the world in December →

Where is Malé?

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Malé in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Malé?
December in Malé: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Malé on SeasonMap's comfort score (75/100).
What is the weather like in Malé in December?
In December, Malé averages a daily high of 30.8°C and a low of 25.9°C, with about 199 mm of rain over roughly 17.5 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Malé in December?
Malé has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in December.