Love New Zealand

New Zealand Weather

The islands of New Zealand lie between 37 and 47 degrees south of the Tropic of Capricorn, in the Southern Hemisphere of the world.

New Zealand enjoys a moderate, maritime climate, weather and temperatures. The North Island is warmer than the South Island, with sub-tropical weather in the far north of the North Island.

To see the weather forcast for the next few days in your area, see the MetService website.

NZ Seasons

New Zealand seasons do not experience massive temperature extremes, however weather can change unexpectedly.

  • Spring - September, October, November
  • Summer - December, January, February
  • Autumn - March, April, May
  • Winter - June, July, August

The warmest months in New Zealand are December, January and February (Summer), and the coldest June, July and August (Winter). In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20 - 30°C and in winter between 10 - 15°C. Find out more about New Zealand Seasons.

NZ Sunshine

Most places in New Zealand enjoy a lovely sunny climate, with over 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest areas of New Zealand are the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Nelson and Marlborough - each receiving over 2,350 hours of sunshine a year.

New Zealand observes daylight savings, so in Summer the sun can be up as late as 9 or 10pm. In Winter, it can be dark by 5 or 6pm.

NZ Rainfall

New Zealand enjoys regular rainfall - generally between 640 millimetres and 1,500 millimetres a year.

This regular rainfall helps produce areas of stunning native rainforest, and also makes New Zealand an ideal location for farming and horticulture.

NZ Weather Forcasts

Weather forcasts are predicted daily and aired on radio stations, TV and in the newspaper.

To see the weather forcast for the next few days in your area, see the MetService website.