The Climate of
New Zealand
Te Miko, a few kilometres north of Punakaiki, South Island
Climate Map
Climate map of New Zealand
What is the climate of New Zealand like?
New Zealand consists of two main islands—North and South—along with a few small offshore islands. It lies between 34° and 47°S in the South Pacific and has an area slightly larger than the United Kingdom. Located 1,500 km (925 mi) from Australia, in the belt of disturbed westerly winds, it has a very equable maritime climate comparable to western Britain than that of Portugal, which has a similar latitude.
New Zealand has a mild oceanic climate with little seasonal variation. Average annual temperatures range from around 11°C (52°F) in the southern part of the South Island to 15°C (59°F) in Northland, the northernmost part of the North Island. Daily maximum temperatures in summer generally vary between 21°C and 27°C (70° to 81°F); Winter highs are usually at least 10°C (50°F). Temperatures rarely go beyond the extremes of -10°C (14°F) and 35°C (95°F).
Beautiful spells of sunny weather can occur at any time of the year and the country has more sunshine than one would expect in such a changeable climate. Daily hours of sunshine in most parts of New Zealand average between four and five in winter and six or seven in summer. The north of the country and the east coast are slightly sunnier than the extreme south and wetter west coast of South Island.
There is a marked prevalence of westerly winds throughout all seasons, but they are much modified by the form of the land. Periods of lasting drought are almost unknown in New Zealand.
Both North and South Islands are hilly and mountainous. The west coast of South Island is backed by the high Southern Alps, which rise to over 3,700 meters (12,000 feet). North Island has several volcanic peaks that rise above 2,400 meters (8,000 feet). These higher mountains carry snow all year round. There are extensive snowfields and glaciers in the Southern Alps as rainfall is heavy on the western side of the South Island; up to 2,000 to 2,500 millimeters (80 to 100 inches) and over 5,000 millimeters (200 inches) in the mountains. Snow can occur almost anywhere at sea level in New Zealand but is very rare in the far north of the North Island.
North Island
The climate in the far north of the North Island is almost subtropical, with very mild winters and warm, rather humid summers. The climate for Auckland is representative of this, the warmest part of the country. The climate for Wellington shows that temperatures are only slightly lower elsewhere in the North Island, where frost is very rare on the coast but can be quite common inland.
North Island is within the influence of the subtropical winter rainfall, the probability of rainfall in winter is almost twice as large as in summer. Rainfall is generally higher on the west coasts. Annual rainfall drops below 1,000 mm (40 inches) in many places on the east coast but rises to over 2,500 mm (100 inches) in higher inland country.
| Climate data for Auckland (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 22.4 (72.3) | 20.1 (68.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 15.1 (59.2) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.0 (66.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.7 (67.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 16.1 (61.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 10.9 (51.6) | 11.3 (52.3) | 12.7 (54.9) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.7 (60.3) | 17.8 (64.0) | 15.2 (59.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.2 (59.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 14.4 (57.9) | 12.1 (53.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 8.1 (46.6) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.9 (48.0) | 10.4 (50.7) | 12.0 (53.6) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.3 (52.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 73.3 (2.89) | 66.1 (2.60) | 87.3 (3.44) | 99.4 (3.91) | 112.6 (4.43) | 126.4 (4.98) | 145.1 (5.71) | 118.4 (4.66) | 105.1 (4.14) | 100.2 (3.94) | 85.8 (3.38) | 92.8 (3.65) | 1,210.7 (47.67) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Wellington (1928–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 20.2 (68.4) | 20.4 (68.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 16.6 (61.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.9 (53.4) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.9 (53.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 15.8 (60.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.9 (62.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 13.7 (56.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 9.3 (48.7) | 8.6 (47.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 10.5 (50.9) | 11.9 (53.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 15.3 (59.5) | 12.7 (54.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) | 13.4 (56.1) | 12.4 (54.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.6 (47.5) | 6.7 (44.1) | 5.9 (42.6) | 6.4 (43.5) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.8 (47.8) | 10.2 (50.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 9.7 (49.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 77.5 (3.05) | 77.0 (3.03) | 85.8 (3.38) | 100.9 (3.97) | 120.7 (4.75) | 132.4 (5.21) | 136.0 (5.35) | 125.5 (4.94) | 100.8 (3.97) | 110.3 (4.34) | 91.5 (3.60) | 92.0 (3.62) | 1,250.4 (49.23) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data | |||||||||||||
South Island
The climate for Christchurch and Hokitika in the South Island shows that temperatures are slightly lower here all year round. However, extreme heat and cold are very rare in New Zealand thanks to the dominant influence of the ocean. Hokitika on the west coast is much wetter than Christchurch in all months. Christchurch is representative of the Canterbury Plains, the driest part of the country, but inland winter temperatures tend to be lower and frost more common. The flatlands east of the Southern Alps are often hit by a warm, very dry wind that suddenly raises the temperature for a few hours or a day or so. This is a föhn-like wind and occurs when strong westerly winds crossing the mountains are warmed as the leeward air descends. The wind melts snow in winter but can dry out crops in summer.
The contrast between precipitation on the east and west coasts is very striking. The amount of precipitation in the west is almost five times higher than in the east. The excess precipitation on the coast is illustrated by the distribution of glaciers on opposite sides of the mountains. Those on the west slope have an excessive supply of snow and descend much further.
| Climate data for Christchurch (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.3 (72.1) | 20.3 (68.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 14.6 (58.3) | 11.9 (53.4) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.9 (62.4) | 19.2 (66.6) | 21.0 (69.8) | 17.1 (62.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.1 (62.8) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.9 (58.8) | 12.2 (54.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.6 (45.7) | 9.5 (49.1) | 11.2 (52.2) | 13.5 (56.3) | 15.7 (60.3) | 11.8 (53.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.6 (52.9) | 9.7 (49.5) | 6.8 (44.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 1.8 (35.2) | 1.2 (34.2) | 2.5 (36.5) | 3.9 (39.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 7.7 (45.9) | 10.5 (50.9) | 6.5 (43.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 37 (1.5) | 41 (1.6) | 41 (1.6) | 55 (2.2) | 56 (2.2) | 61 (2.4) | 57 (2.2) | 51 (2.0) | 36 (1.4) | 49 (1.9) | 41 (1.6) | 52 (2.0) | 577 (22.7) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Hokitika (1936–2015) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.8 (67.6) | 18.8 (65.8) | 16.6 (61.9) | 14.3 (57.7) | 12.3 (54.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 14.9 (58.8) | 16.4 (61.5) | 18.2 (64.8) | 15.7 (60.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) | 15.9 (60.6) | 14.7 (58.5) | 12.6 (54.7) | 10.1 (50.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 7.4 (45.3) | 8.3 (46.9) | 9.8 (49.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 12.6 (54.7) | 14.4 (57.9) | 11.7 (53.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 6.0 (42.8) | 3.8 (38.8) | 2.9 (37.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.8 (42.4) | 7.3 (45.1) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.7 (51.3) | 7.7 (45.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 242.3 (9.54) | 178.9 (7.04) | 215.0 (8.46) | 235.8 (9.28) | 242.1 (9.53) | 249.3 (9.81) | 219.3 (8.63) | 231.9 (9.13) | 256.5 (10.10) | 276.3 (10.88) | 239.6 (9.43) | 268.5 (10.57) | 2,849.7 (112.19) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- James Hector, (1886), Handbook of New Zealand, New Zealand Geological Survey.
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
New Zealand
In summary:
New Zealand has a mild oceanic climate with little seasonal variation. Mean annual temperatures range from about 11°C (52°F) in the southern part of South Island to 15°C (59°F) in the northernmost part of the North Island. Daytime high temperatures in summer are generally around 22°C (72°F); winter highs are usually at least 10°C (50°F).
The mountainous nature of the country causes considerable variation in rainfall. Mean annual rainfall ranges from around 500 mm (20 in) near Christchurch to more than 6400 mm (250 in) on the western slopes of the Southern Alps.