New Zealand Weather

Aotearoa… The Land of the Long White Cloud… New Zealand.

Located in the Southern Hemisphere the seasons in New Zealand oppose those in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer months are from December until February, the autumn months are from March till May, winter is from June until August and spring covers September till November.

New Zealand observes daylight savings therefore the sun shines longer during the day (in some cases not setting until 9pm) in summer and the nights are comfortably mild. The weather cools slightly as autumn sets in but remains excellent as the leaves change colour and swimming in some places remains possible. Winter brings much cooler weather with more rain and in some parts of both the North and South Islands – snow! Spring can be quite a challenging season with the weather varying from cold and frosty to warm and hot.

There are two main geological factors that influence the weather in New Zealand: the sea and the mountains. This influence means that the average temperatures for summer are 20 – 30 degrees Celsius or 68 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit whilst in the cooler months of winter the weather will drop to around 5 – 15 degrees Celsius or 41 – 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

Extreme weather conditions are possible and it can change quite quickly as cold fronts or tropical cyclones blow in. Rainfall is also moderately high so it is necessary for visitors to be prepared for all temperates.

So visitors beware; the weather in New Zealand can be as unpredictable and exciting as the country itself.