Because New Zealand is an island country, the climate is mild and maritime, but somewhat unpredictable. New Zealand weather patterns change often, so inclement weather will pass fairly quickly. The weather is not often the same in different regions of the island. Still, three cities each receive an average of 2,000 balmy hours of sunshine: Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.
Seasons
Winter lasts from May to August and differs between North and South Islands. On South Island, temperatures are between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile on North Island, medium temperatures range between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius.
Springtime happens between August and November. During these months strong winds called Westerlies hit the islands.
Summer and autumn span the months of December through April. Average temperature highs are around 25 degrees Celsius.
Rainfall
While Whangarei is the city that gets the most precipitation at 1,500 millimetres yearly, New Zealand’s islands do not all receive the same amount of annual rain. Getting only 300 millimetres per year, Central Otago has a semi-arid climate. Average yearly rainfall for most of the country is between 600 and 1,000 millimetres.
Weather Patterns
With the changeability of the weather on this island country surrounded by ocean, people can easily get a taste of every one of the four seasons in a single day. North Island has a sub-tropical climate, and South Island has a mild and moderate weather environment. Summers and autumns have mostly beautiful weather, and they are the best seasons for a visit to New Zealand.
