Overview

New Zealand’s climate is complex and varies from warm subtropical in the far north to a cool temperature climate in the far south. New Zealand’s climate is dominated by two main geographical features: the mountains and the sea. The weather in New Zealand can change very quickly as cold fronts or tropical cyclones quickly blow in and the weather is commonly described as “Four seasons in one day “.

Seasons in New Zealand:

• Spring - September, October, November. Spring is grape harvest season and the start of the year`s winemaking.
• Summer - December, January, February - summer is the Christmas season in New Zealand and the time for family holidays. Summer is the season for outdoor food and wine events and the famous Marlborough Wine Festival in Marlborough. Summer temperatures range from 20 to 30 ° C.
• Autumn - March, April, May. In autumn the temperature drops marginally compared to the summer months.
• Winter-June, July and August are the coldest months. Winter brings snow and winter activities. From June to August is also the ski season. Winter temperatures range from 5 to 15° C.

Did you know?

Most places in New Zealand receive over 2000 hours of sunshine a year, with the sunniest areas — Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Nelson/Marlborough — receiving over 2350 hours. New Zealanders also get extra hours of day light for 27 weeks. The West Coast of the South Island is the wettest area of New Zealand and most areas in New Zealand have about 600 to 1600 mm of rainfall spread throughout the year.