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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Wellington New Zealand

In Wellington, the summers are comfortable, the winters are cold and wet, and it is windy and partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 45°F to 68°F and is rarely below 38°F or above 74°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Wellington for warm-weather activities is from late December to early March.

Climate in Wellington

comfortablecoolcoldcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow66%66%55%55%clearovercastprecipitation: 3.0 inprecipitation: 3.0 in1.8 in1.8 inmuggy: 1%muggy: 1%0%0%drydrytourism score: 6.3tourism score: 6.30.60.6
Wellington weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 3.1 months, from December 14 to March 19, with an average daily high temperature above 65°F. The hottest month of the year in Wellington is February, with an average high of 68°F and low of 58°F.

The cool season lasts for 3.3 months, from June 1 to September 9, with an average daily high temperature below 56°F. The coldest month of the year in Wellington is July, with an average low of 45°F and high of 53°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Wellington

Average High and Low Temperature in WellingtonwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FJul 1453°FJul 1453°FFeb 468°FFeb 468°F45°F45°F59°F59°FDec 1465°FDec 1465°FMar 1965°FMar 1965°FJun 156°FJun 156°FSep 956°FSep 956°F56°F56°F56°F56°F48°F48°F47°F47°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 68°F68°F65°F62°F58°F54°F53°F54°F56°F59°F62°F65°F
Temp. 62°F63°F60°F57°F54°F50°F49°F49°F52°F54°F56°F60°F
Low 58°F58°F56°F53°F50°F47°F45°F46°F48°F50°F53°F56°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Wellington

Average Hourly Temperature in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowcoldcoolcoolcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Dumbría, Spain (12,218 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Wellington (view comparison).

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In Wellington, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Wellington begins around January 12 and lasts for 3.4 months, ending around April 26.

The clearest month of the year in Wellington is March, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 65% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 26 and lasts for 8.6 months, ending around January 12.

The cloudiest month of the year in Wellington is July, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 45% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Wellington

Cloud Cover Categories in WellingtonclearercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Mar 466%Mar 466%Jul 1855%Jul 1855%Jan 1261%Jan 1261%Apr 2661%Apr 2661%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 38%35%35%38%40%42%45%41%40%41%42%44%
Clearer 62%65%65%62%60%58%55%59%60%59%58%56%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Wellington varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 5.5 months, from May 7 to October 25, with a greater than 25% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Wellington is June, with an average of 9.6 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 6.5 months, from October 25 to May 7. The month with the fewest wet days in Wellington is February, with an average of 5.1 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Wellington is June, with an average of 9.6 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 34% on June 21.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Wellington

Daily Chance of Precipitation in WellingtonwetdrydryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jun 2134%Jun 2134%Feb 1316%Feb 1316%May 725%May 725%Oct 2525%Oct 2525%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 5.7d5.1d6.5d6.4d8.0d9.6d9.7d8.7d8.1d8.5d6.9d7.2d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Wellington experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Wellington. The month with the most rain in Wellington is June, with an average rainfall of 3.0 inches.

The month with the least rain in Wellington is January, with an average rainfall of 1.8 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Wellington

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 1.8″1.9″2.0″2.1″2.6″3.0″2.8″2.3″2.3″2.5″2.1″2.0″

The length of the day in Wellington varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is June 21, with 9 hours, 11 minutes of daylight; the longest day is December 21, with 15 hours, 10 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Wellington

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 7 minSep 2312 hr, 7 minSep 2315 hr, 10 minDec 2115 hr, 10 minDec 2112 hr, 9 minMar 2012 hr, 9 minMar 209 hr, 11 minJun 219 hr, 11 minJun 21daydaynightNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 14.8h13.7h12.3h11.0h9.8h9.2h9.5h10.5h11.8h13.2h14.4h15.1h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:41 AM on December 8, and the latest sunrise is 2 hours, 7 minutes later at 7:47 AM on June 28. The earliest sunset is at 4:57 PM on June 14, and the latest sunset is 4 hours, 0 minutes later at 8:57 PM on January 4.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Wellington during 2024, starting in the spring on September 29 and ending in the fall on April 7.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Wellington

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMDec 85:41 AMDec 85:41 AM8:57 PMJan 48:57 PMJan 4Jun 144:57 PMJun 144:57 PM7:47 AMJun 287:47 AMJun 28DSTApr 7DSTApr 7Sep 29DSTSep 29DSTdaynightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Wellington

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM000010101020202030303040405050606000010101010202020303040405050602572NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Wellington

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level in Wellington, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, staying within 1% of 1% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Wellington

Humidity Comfort Levels in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Aug 210%Aug 210%Feb 51%Feb 51%NowNowcomfortablecomfortabledrydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.2d0.3d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Wellington experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 4.3 months, from September 2 to January 12, with average wind speeds of more than 13.6 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Wellington is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 14.6 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 7.7 months, from January 12 to September 2. The calmest month of the year in Wellington is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 12.5 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Wellington

Average Wind Speed in WellingtonwindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph5 mph5 mph10 mph10 mph15 mph15 mph20 mph20 mphOct 514.9 mphOct 514.9 mphApr 2512.3 mphApr 2512.3 mphJan 1213.6 mphJan 1213.6 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 13.412.612.812.513.313.713.713.614.114.614.213.8

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Wellington varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the south for 3.1 weeks, from June 23 to July 15, with a peak percentage of 34% on July 8. The wind is most often from the north for 11 months, from July 15 to June 23, with a peak percentage of 52% on January 1.

Wind Direction in Wellington

Wind Direction in WellingtonNSNJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowsouthnorthwesteast
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Wellington is located near a large body of water (e.g., ocean, sea, or large lake). This section reports on the wide-area average surface temperature of that water.

The average water temperature experiences some seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The time of year with warmer water lasts for 2.7 months, from January 6 to March 28, with an average temperature above 61°F. The month of the year in Wellington with the warmest water is February, with an average temperature of 62°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 4.0 months, from June 18 to October 18, with an average temperature below 55°F. The month of the year in Wellington with the coolest water is August, with an average temperature of 53°F.

Average Water Temperature in Wellington

Average Water Temperature in WellingtonwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec50°F50°F52°F52°F54°F54°F56°F56°F58°F58°F60°F60°F62°F62°F64°F64°F66°F66°FFeb 1863°FFeb 1863°F53°FAug 1053°FAug 10Jan 661°FJan 661°FMar 2861°FMar 2861°FJun 1855°FJun 1855°FOct 1855°FOct 1855°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 61°F62°F62°F60°F58°F55°F54°F53°F54°F55°F57°F59°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Wellington throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Wellington for general outdoor tourist activities is from late December to early March, with a peak score in the second week of February.

Tourism Score in Wellington

Tourism Score in Wellingtonbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.36.30.60.6NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Wellington for hot-weather activities is from late January to mid February, with a peak score in the first week of February.

Beach/Pool Score in Wellington

Beach/Pool Score in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810100.40.40.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

Temperatures in Wellington are sufficiently warm year round that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss the growing season in these terms. We nevertheless include the chart below as an illustration of the distribution of temperatures experienced throughout the year.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Wellington

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%100%Jan 1100%Jan 197%Jun 2097%Jun 20Dec 20100%Dec 20100%NowNowvery coldcoldcoolcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Growing Degree Days in Wellington

Growing Degree Days in WellingtonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F500°F500°F1,000°F1,000°F1,500°F1,500°F2,000°F2,000°F2,500°F2,500°FSep 790°FSep 790°FJun 302,268°FJun 302,268°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.5 months, from November 2 to February 16, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.5 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Wellington is January, with an average of 7.5 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 3.7 months, from April 28 to August 19, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 2.9 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Wellington is June, with an average of 1.7 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Wellington

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in WellingtonbrightbrightdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWh10 kWh10 kWhJan 37.7 kWhJan 37.7 kWhJun 211.6 kWhJun 211.6 kWhNov 26.5 kWhNov 26.5 kWhApr 282.9 kWhApr 282.9 kWhAug 192.9 kWhAug 192.9 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 7.56.55.03.42.31.71.92.84.15.66.97.5

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Wellington are -41.287 deg latitude, 174.776 deg longitude, and 102 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Wellington contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 1,093 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 282 feet. Within 10 miles also contains very significant variations in elevation (1,745 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (5,085 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Wellington is covered by artificial surfaces (34%), grassland (23%), water (21%), and trees (21%), within 10 miles by water (51%) and trees (27%), and within 50 miles by water (72%) and trees (18%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Wellington, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There are 3 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Wellington.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Wellington according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Wellington is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Wellington and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Wellington and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.