Weather in Broome in December

The month to avoid. December is the month most people should skip in Broome. Daytime highs average 37.3 °C and the afternoon is not negotiable — outdoor plans move to early morning or evening.

December ranks 12 of 12 — near the bottom of Broome's year. June is the month that works, and the swing between the two is 56 points, which is a different holiday rather than a slightly better one.

Rain on 14 days, 3 of them heavy. Enough to need a plan B, not enough to need a plan around it. Pack for heat management rather than style: shade, water, and a schedule that gives up on the middle of the day.

What the averages hide

Averages flatten a month, and this one hides a few things: 24 days of the month clear 35 °C — that is not a heatwave, it is the month. Across the twenty years measured, the hottest December day reached 46.7 °C and the coldest night fell to 23.4 °C, and the wettest single day dropped 156 mm — roughly 130% of the month's rain in one day.

December is moderately variable: 14 mm in the driest year against 413 mm in the wettest, around an average of 120 mm. Roughly two Decembers in three land near that average, and the third does something else entirely.

Wind is light at 12.2 km/h, so the temperature on the page is close to the temperature on your skin, and humidity is unremarkable at 60%.

How December sits in the year

The month is on the way down: 2.2 °C cooler than November, with January dropping another 3.3 °C. The first week and the last are not the same trip. Rain is the thing that moves: January brings 6 days more of it, so the earlier half of a flexible trip is the safer half.

Daylight in December

December is at or near the longest days of Broome's year: 13.2 hours of daylight, holding steady all month. Evenings are the real gain — dinner outdoors still happens in full light.

Sea temperature

The sea sits at about 29.5 °C in December — warm enough that the water offers no relief from the heat. The sea peaks at 30.2 °C in March and bottoms out at 24.7 °C — water lags the air by a month or two, which is why the best swimming often comes after the best weather.

How busy it gets

Off season. The genuine off season: cheapest by a distance, with the caveat that some tours and restaurants close entirely.

Crowd levels are estimated from climate desirability and school-holiday calendars, not from visitor numbers.

December in Broome versus nearby

If Broome is one option among several, the nearby comparison is worth making. Labuan Bajo is a better bet in December — 7.7 °C cooler, 15 days more rain. Darwin is a better bet in December — 6.3 °C cooler, 15 days more rain.

So: December is a compromise. June is 56 points better and is what Broome is actually like at its best — worth moving the trip for if that is possible, and worth adjusting expectations for if it is not.

Every month in Broome

See all twelve months in Broome, or where else to go in December.