Tourleader New Zealand

We have arranged the most interesting climate data into charts to give you an impression of what's expecting you in New Zealand. It shows the range of weather and climate in different parts of New Zealand, not including extreme places like Mount Cook or the Chatham Islands.

Climate is becoming more extreme here as well, with more droughts during the El Niño years than ever (which bring additional risks of forest fires) and more extreme wet weather events - not only in connection with cyclones - which bring additional risks of flooding.

Temperature records are regularly broken, not for the country though but for individual towns.

Mean monthly sunshine (hours)

New Zealand record: most sunshine hours in one year - Nelson (1931): 2,711 hours.
New Zealand record: lowest sunshine hours in one year - Invercargill (1983): 1,333 hours.

Mean monthly rainfall (mm)

New Zealand record: highest amount of rainfall in a 24 hour period - Hokitika (21–22 January 1994): 682 mm.
New Zealand record: highest amount of rainfall in year - Hokitika (29 October 1997–29 October 1998): 18,442 mm.

Mean daily minimum air temperature (°C)

New Zealand record: lowest air temperature - Ophir, Otago (3 July 1995): –21.6 °C

Mean daily maximum air temperature (°C)

New Zealand record: highest air temperature - Rangiora, Canterbury (7 February 1973): 42.4 °C

(Source: NIWA Science, National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research)

Back: When to come to New Zealand - climate, temperature, rain, sunshine, seasons & tourist arrivals!