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The climate of New Zealand is maritime and varies between the sub-tropical climate of the far north and the cold temperate climate of the far south of the country. The climate is influenced by the sea and the mountains and can undergo sudden changes in the same day.
The mountains divide the country into very different climatic zones. Particularly on the South Island, the west coast is the rainiest area in the country. While about 100 km away, the area east of the mountains is the driest in the country. On the North Island, the rains are more evenly distributed. During the winter it can snow on both islands.
A LARGELY TEMPERATE MARITIME CLIMATE
Much of New Zealand has an annual average rainfall that varies between 600 mm and 1,600 mm. The rains are distributed throughout the year, with a dry summer season, in the months between December and February.
The summer months, those between December and February, are warm and bright, the days are sunny and long and the nights warm. Autumn (March-May) usually presents beautiful days, but a little cooler than summer ones.
Winter (June-August) is cold, and rainy in particular on the North Island, while snow appears on the mountains. Some areas of the South Island receive little rain in winter, this makes a visit pleasant despite the low temperatures, while heavy rains fall along the west coast.
Spring (September-November) has a very changing climate with sudden changes. In this season the climate of New Zealand can vary between hot and cold on the same day. The hottest months are the summer months between December and February, with average temperatures ranging between 20 ° C and 30 ° C. While the coldest months are those between June and August, with average temperatures ranging between 10 ° C and 15 ° C.
The sea water temperature varies considerably between the North Island and the South Island. On the North Island, sea temperatures exceed 20 ° C during the summer months, that is between January and March. While on the South Island sea temperatures reach 18 ° C in February. In the winter months temperatures drop to 12 ° C on the South Island and 15 ° C on the North Island.
CLIMATE OF AUCKLAND
Auckland’s climate is hot and humid, with hot summers and high humidity, while winters are warm and humid. The rains fall throughout the year, but the rainiest months are the winter months. The annual average rainfall is 1,200 mm.
CLIMATE OF CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch has a rather dry and temperate climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Rain falls throughout the year but is greatest in winter. The annual average rainfall is 600 mm.
WHEN TO GO TO NEW ZEALAND
The best time to travel to New Zealand are the hot summer months between November and April.
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THE CLIMATE OF NEW ZEALAND: CLIMATE TABLES
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| AUCKLAND (7 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 15,2 | 23,1 | 73,3 | 8,0 |
| February | 15,8 | 23,7 | 66,1 | 7,1 |
| March | 14,4 | 22,4 | 87,3 | 8,4 |
| April | 12,1 | 20,1 | 99,4 | 10,6 |
| May | 10,3 | 17,7 | 112,6 | 12,0 |
| June | 8,1 | 15,5 | 126,4 | 14,8 |
| July | 7,1 | 14,7 | 145,1 | 16,0 |
| August | 8,5 | 15,1 | 118,4 | 14,9 |
| September | 8,9 | 16,5 | 105,1 | 12,8 |
| October | 10,4 | 17,8 | 100,2 | 12,0 |
| November | 12,0 | 19,5 | 85,8 | 10,3 |
| December | 14,0 | 21,6 | 92,8 | 9,3 |
| YEAR | 11,3 | 19,0 | 1210,7 | 135,7 |
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| CHRISTCHURCH (37 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 11,8 | 22,4 | 43,5 | 5,9 |
| February | 11,6 | 21,9 | 43,5 | 5,4 |
| March | 9,9 | 20,0 | 52,8 | 6,3 |
| April | 6,8 | 17,3 | 52,9 | 6,7 |
| May | 3,8 | 14,2 | 63,0 | 7,8 |
| June | 1,1 | 11,4 | 58,5 | 8,0 |
| July | 0,7 | 10,7 | 62,5 | 8,2 |
| August | 2,0 | 12,2 | 57,6 | 7,3 |
| September | 4,0 | 14,6 | 42,4 | 6,1 |
| October | 6,1 | 16,9 | 48,3 | 6,9 |
| November | 8,1 | 19,0 | 47,5 | 6,6 |
| December | 10,6 | 20,9 | 50,4 | 7,1 |
| YEAR | 6,4 | 16,8 | 622,9 | 82,3 |
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SEA WATER TEMPERATURE
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| AUCKLAND | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 20 | |||
| February | 21 | |||
| March | 21 | |||
| April | 20 | |||
| May | 18 | |||
| June | 18 | |||
| July | 15 | |||
| August | 14 | |||
| September | 15 | |||
| October | 16 | |||
| November | 17 | |||
| December | 19 | |||
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| WELLINGTON | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 17 | |||
| February | 18 | |||
| March | 18 | |||
| April | 17 | |||
| May | 14 | |||
| June | 14 | |||
| July | 13 | |||
| August | 13 | |||
| September | 12 | |||
| October | 14 | |||
| November | 14 | |||
| December | 17 | |||
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| ABEL TASMAN NATIONAL PARK | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 17 | |||
| February | 18 | |||
| March | 17 | |||
| April | 16 | |||
| May | 15 | |||
| June | 14 | |||
| July | 13 | |||
| August | 12 | |||
| September | 12 | |||
| October | 13 | |||
| November | 14 | |||
| December | 16 | |||
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