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Shetland Islands in December: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Shetland Islands in December and see if it is worth visiting.
Check flight prices to Shetland Islands on Avionero:
December

Weather in Shetland Islands in December 2024

OK Weather
Chill
🌧️
Rainy
Shetland Islands in December usually sees fair weather conditions, with an average daily high temperature of +45°F and roughly 0 sunny days. However, you should prepare for about 23 rainy days with an average precipitation of 118 mm. The weather is changeable so pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.

Average weather

☀️
+45°F
Avg. max. temperature
+21°F
Min.
+54°F
Max.
118 mm
Total precipitation
80%
Avg. humidity
8 m/s
Avg. wind
0 ☀️
Sunny Days
4 ⛅️
Cloudy
23 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Shetland Islands has OK weather in December.

Average temperature in Shetland Islands in December

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Shetland Islands for December based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in December is +45°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +52°F during the day and a minimum of +36°F at night.

The average maximum temperature goes up 33% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +41°F to +46°F.

Is Shetland Islands warm or cold in December?

Shetland Islands is typically chill in December.

Maximum temperatures go down compared to the previous month from +48°F to +45°F. The minimum temperature also goes down from +43°F to +39°F.

Pack a jumper and a jacket as there will be cooler temperatures.

Take a look at how December is compared to other months in Shetland Islands:

Climate in Shetland Islands in December

Shetland Islands weather looks like this, on average, in December and the surrounding months.
NovemberDecemberJanuary
Avg. temperature
+48°F+45°F+45°F
Min. temperature
+21°F+21°F+21°F
Max. temperature
+59°F+54°F+52°F
Rainfall
121 mm118 mm119 mm
Wind
8 m/s8 m/s9 m/s
Humidity
80%80%80%
Air pressure
1005 HPa1004 HPa1004 HPa
Sunny days
000
Cloudy days
444
Rainy days
242323
Snowy days
144

December weather is still as ok as in November. It’s getting colder in December. From +48°F in the day, the average maximum temperature lowers to +45°F. As December arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 121 mm to 118 mm. Humidity levels don’t change as the month goes on, averaging around 80%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during December, staying around 8 m/s. The amount of sunny days stay about the same, averaging 0 sunny days during the month.

January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Shetland Islands in December based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 10 m/s getting up to 16 m/s which is quite strong. The wind will cause branches to move and ground debris to fly around.

The average wind speed in Shetland Islands is gradually increasing during December, going from 2 m/s to 16 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during December in Shetland Islands based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
A chance of rain on a typical day in December stands at 77%, leading to total precipitation of around 162 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 23 mm, which is considered light rain. December is a pretty wet month with over 24 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
December is one of the rainiest months in Shetland Islands, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Shetland Islands wettest month is November, where a typical day has a 80% chance of precipitation and 121 mm of rainfall per day. May, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 52% chance of precipitation and 44 mm of rainfall per day.

Snow

Amount of snow in mm during December in Shetland Islands based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The chance of snow on a typical day in December is 0%, for a monthly total of around 2 mm.

December is one of the snowiest months in Shetland Islands.

Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of snow, total mm:

How was the weather last December in Shetland Islands?

This is the weather in Shetland Islands in December 2023:
1 December
☁️
+42°F
2 December
☁️
+42°F
3 December
☀️
+43°F
4 December
☁️
+43°F
5 December
☁️
+42°F
6 December
☁️
+43°F
7 December
☁️
+45°F
8 December
🌧️
+45°F
9 December
🌧️
+46°F
10 December
🌧️
+47°F
11 December
☁️
+46°F
12 December
☁️
+44°F
13 December
☁️
+46°F
14 December
🌧️
+48°F
15 December
☁️
+52°F
16 December
☁️
+52°F
17 December
☁️
+51°F
18 December
☁️
+50°F
19 December
🌧️
+45°F
20 December
☁️
+49°F
21 December
🌧️
+48°F
22 December
🌧️
+40°F
23 December
☁️
+41°F
24 December
🌧️
+48°F
25 December
🌧️
+43°F
26 December
☁️
+43°F
27 December
☁️
+43°F
28 December
☁️
+44°F
29 December
🌧️
+44°F
30 December
☁️
+44°F
31 December
🌧️
+46°F
In December 2023 Shetland Islands had 1 sunny days, 19 cloudy days, and 11 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +45°F, with an absolute maximum of +52°F and a minimum of +41°F. The average humidity was 77%, with a maximum of 95% and a minimum of 55%. The average wind speed was 10 m/s, with a maximum of 22 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in December?

Climate Change Over the Years

This is how Shetland Islands climate has changed over the last 43 years.

The climate in Shetland Islands in December has not changed that much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+47°F) and the highest in 2006 (+52°F). The driest year was 1996 with only 776 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2015 with 1280 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Shetland Islands in December:

Is December a good time to visit Shetland Islands?

It’s always a good time to visit Shetland Islands, but the weather is changeable in December, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Shetland Islands in December?

Not really, December is not the best time to sunbathe, unless you visit a local solarium.

Is Shetland Islands rainy in December?

Shetland Islands is often rainy in December. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Shetland Islands in December?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Shetland Islands in December, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in United Kingdom

Check out the weather for other cities in United Kingdom.

Monthly weather in Shetland Islands

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Shetland Islands, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.